Our response to the Autumn Statement

Please visit our Hub for more information, support and guidance about the cost of living with CF. If you can’t find what you are looking for, or need more immediate support please contact our Helpline.

Today the Chancellor announced:

• NHS and research: An extra £22.6b will be provided for day-to-day spending on the NHS in England and another £3.1bn has been pledged to boost to budget for investment. The Chancellor also announced £20 billion of funding to the science sector, including at least £6.1bn to protect core research funding for areas like engineering, biotechnology and medical science.

• Money, welfare, and benefits: The legal minimum wage for over-21s will rise from £11.44 to £12.21 per hour from April and from £8.60 to £10 an hour for 18 to 20-year-olds. Working age benefits, including Universal Credit, PIP and Carer’s Allowance will increase by 1.7 per cent in April, in line with September’s inflation figures.

• Transport: In January 2025 the £2 cap on single bus fares in England will rise to £3 and the 5p cut to petrol and diesel fuel duty which was set to end in April 2025 will now remain in place until April 2026

• Housing: The Government will reduce Right to Buy discounts and a new 5-year social housing rent settlement means social housing providers will be able to raise rents. Additionally, 3.4bn has been for the warm homes plan to insulate 340,000 homes.

• Smoking: The tax on tobacco will increase by 2% above inflation, and 10% above inflation for hand-rolling tobacco and the Government will introduce a flat-rate duty on all vaping liquid from October 2026

Ahead of the Statement, we wrote to the Chancellor and Government Ministers to ask them to tackle a number of key areas we know are important to the CF community, many of which were not addressed today. 

Free prescriptions

We wrote to Wes Streeting, Secretary of State, Department of Health & Social Care about our findings that 1 in 5 respondents to our Your Life and CF survey reported missing a hospital appointment due to the cost of attending and 21% ran out of food before they could afford to buy more.

We know that approximately 38% of adults with CF in England are paying for their prescriptions - an issue not faced by people with CF in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland. The current list of exempt medical conditions for prescription charges was established in 1968, when children with CF were not expected to live into adulthood. Now the median predicted survival age of people born today with CF is 64. High costs of managing CF could lead to missed medications for those who have to pay leading to worsening health.

Welfare support

We also wrote to Liz Kendall, Secretary of State, Department for Work and Pensions as we know that 69% of adults with CF had received Personal Independence Payment (PIP) in the last year due to ill health, but many assessors have a limited understanding of CF. This results in a huge 95% of decision appeals being overturned. 

We’ve asked that the Government commits to ending repeat assessments for those with lifelong conditions like CF and ensures fairer assessments, guided by evidence from specialist CF care teams.

64% of adults with CF are in paid employment however as many as one in five reporting leaving their job due to their health, and 18% experienced reduced pay while sick. People with CF often have to take time off work due to infections and illness which makes many reliant on Statutory Sick Pay (SSP).

The current rate of SSP is woefully inadequate and needs to match the real living wage, ensuring those with chronic conditions like CF are not forced to choose between health and financial security.

Energy bills

We wrote to Ed Miliband, Secretary of State, Department for Energy Security and Net Zero to tell him that 76% of adults with CF rely on daily nebulisers, 46% need an additional fridge to store medications, and 42% must use extra heating to stay warm - all of which contribute to significantly higher energy costs. Compared to the general population, people with CF spend an average of £40 more per month on energy, on top of an additional £520 a month on other costs.

We are calling on the Government to introduce an energy social tariff targeted at those with long-term health conditions, increase the Warm Homes Discount Scheme and reverse the recent eligibility changes that have excluded those only receiving non-means-tested disability benefits. It is crucial that people with CF receive the support they need to manage their higher energy costs and remain well.

Share your experiences

To help get cystic fibrosis on the agenda and keep up the pressure, you can share your experiences in your own voice, on the NHS, health and care with Change NHS. 

Your views and ideas of the realities of living with a long-term health condition could be used to help shape a new health plan.

Financial support the Trust offers

We support people with cystic fibrosis and their families every step of the way by providing grants, supporting with applying for benefits, and helping people get the most out of their income through our income maximization service. Our Work Forwards programme empowers people to fulfil their career dreams and aspirations.

What to do if you’re worried

If you’re worried about access to benefits or employment support, our free Helpline is here to support you.

Call 0300 373 1000 or 020 3795 2184, Monday–Friday 10am–4pm

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