2018 Budget reaction from NPC CEO Dan Corry

Following the Budget of 29/10/2018, NPC CEO Dan Corry made the following statement;

‘The big question of this budget for charities—as for the country—is what the end of austerity really means. Are we really going to see money flowing again to the places we know the needs are rising or not? Here I fear we are in for disappointment.

Philip Hammond did spend quantities not seen in many years. Most of it is gobbled up by the NHS: but even there the sums over the next couple of years hardly get us to standstill according to health experts. Local government, which is a vital source of funding for many civil society organisations, got just a few small bits, notably on social care. It is still in trouble and is unlikely to get any more in the 2019 Spending Review. Many other areas, from criminal justice to education, are going to struggle as well.

Despite the recent Civil Society Strategy, our sector was hardly mentioned in this Budget which says a lot. But on the optimistic side, perhaps the change in rhetoric away from the overwhelming need to reduce the deficit will help, as the sector campaigns for resource for the causes it cares about.’