Spring Statement 2025: Key points for the assistive technology sector

Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves, yesterday delivered the Spring Statement 2025, which delivers the UK Government’s spending plans and the economic outlook for the financial year ahead.

This statement was set around three core government objectives: growth, defence, and reform.

Below, AT Today has highlighted some of the key points from the Spring Statement 2025 that assistive technology professionals should be aware of.

Importantly, no new funding was announced for the NHS or social care. This absence of mention of funding for the health and social care services has been met with criticism from the sector, which AT Today will cover soon.

This news also comes off the back of the recent major announcement that NHS England will be abolished.

In the Spring Statement, the chancellor confirmed the creation of a £3.25 billion Transformation Fund to support what the government believes is the fundamental reform of public services, seize the opportunities of digital technology and AI, and transform frontline delivery to release savings for taxpayers over the long-term.

This Transformation Fund is driven by the government’s goals of making the public sector more productive and improving services for working people.

In more general news, relative to the Office for Budget Responsibility’s (OBR) forecast, people across the UK will be on average £500 better off from 2029, the chancellor stated. The OBR also confirmed that the UK economy is expected to grow faster than expected from 2026 and will be larger by 2029 compared to its autumn forecast – up to 9.5 percent compared to 9.2 percent.

The Northern Ireland Executive is set to receive a further £14 million boost in Barnett consequentials in 2035/26. This is on top of the £18.2 billion settlement in 2025/26 for the Northern Ireland Executive that was announced in the Autumn Budget 2024. Some of this money could be used to improve health services in Northern Ireland.