Autumn Budget 2026: What Social Housing Contractors Should Be Watching

Autumn Budget 2026: What Social Housing Contractors Should Be Watching

The Chancellor delivers the Autumn Budget on Wednesday 28 October. The social housing sector has been clear about what it wants. For contractors, the answers will shape the pipeline of work for years.

Grant for new homes

The first allocation of Social and Affordable Homes Programme funding will deliver over 73,000 social and affordable homes. The National Housing Federation is calling for an extra £5.3 billion to unlock a further 41,000. In London, Inside Housing reports that a significant number of landlords were granted around 40% of what they bid for. More grant means more schemes starting on site.

Warm Homes and retrofit

The NHF wants more funding for existing stock through the Warm Homes Plan. Retrofit leaders have also warned that heat pump subsidies could be cut. Watch this closely if your programmes include insulation, heat pumps or solar.

VAT on repairs and building safety works

The G15 wants VAT reduced on maintaining and improving social housing. The Northern Housing Consortium wants zero rating for building safety works and for energy saving materials to be extended to 2030. Any change would affect the cost of planned maintenance and remediation programmes.

London and the South East

London landlords are asking for funding certainty and more control over housing investment. London boroughs say they have a pipeline of over 50,000 potential council homes if funding is available.

What it means for supply chains

Nobody knows yet what will be announced. What we do know is that programmes only get delivered if the right accredited trades are available when the work arrives, and that is hard to arrange after the announcement.

How Empower Consulting helps

We connect main contractors with pre-vetted, accredited subcontractors across all trades, ready to mobilise anywhere in England, at no cost to the main contractor. If you are planning for upcoming programmes, get in touch at www.empowerconsulting.co.uk