Budget 2026: No more fat to trim for 'squeezed middle'
Source: BBC ·
As the chancellor finalises his first Budget, how are the "squeezed middle" feeling about costs?
From the source
Dawn Fazackerley-King says there is "nothing fancy" in her regular outgoings As Chancellor John Healey puts the final touches to his first Budget, how are the "squeezed middle" feeling after years of cost-of-living pressure? Dawn Fazackerley-King is trying to work out how she and her family will pay higher mortgage costs anticipated in a few months' time. "There's just no more fat to trim," says the mother-of-two. The interest rate on their Ipswich home loan could rise from 1.4% to about 5.3%, which, Dawn says, could add "about £250 extra a month just for living in the same property". "We just have to find that money from somewhere, but when you look at the direct debits every month, there's nothing fancy in there," she adds. The BBC has contacted HM Treasury for comment. Dawn lists the usual monthly bills, including their mortgage, council tax and energy costs, adding "there's no regular meals out or anything like that". Over the past few years of increasing costs, Dawn says her…