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Written Question
National Insurance Contributions
Friday 17th May 2024

Asked by: Paul Howell (Conservative - Sedgefield)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the (a) number of people who will financially benefit from the National Insurance reduction announced in the Spring Budget 2024 and (b) average (i) financial gain from that reduction and (ii) cumulative financial gain from reductions to National Insurance announced in the Autumn Statement 2023 and Spring Budget 2024, by region.

Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)

The estimated number of people who financially benefited from the National insurance reduction in the Autumn Statement and Spring Budget and the associated financial gain for an average employee on £35,404 can be seen in Table 1 below:

Table 1: gain for an average employee on £35,404 from reductions to National Insurance announced in the Autumn Statement 2023 and Spring Budget 2024

2024 to 2025 tax year impacts

Autumn Statement only

Spring Budget only

Cumulative Spring Budget and Autumn Statement

Number of people who financially benefitted from the NICs reduction, 1000s

29,300

29,500

29,500

Gain for average employee with mean employee salary of £35,404

£457

£457

£913

The estimated average financial gain among those benefitting from both the Autumn Statement 2023 and Spring Budget 2024 National insurance reduction, by region, can be seen in the Table 2 below:

Table 2: average financial gain and cumulative gain from reductions to National Insurance announced in the Autumn Statement 2023 and Spring Budget 2024, by region

2024 to 2025 tax year impacts by region

Number of gainers, 1000s

Average gain, Spring Budget only

Average cumulative gain, Autumn Statement and Spring Budget

North East

1,060

£316

£632

North West and Merseyside

3,140

£321

£644

Yorkshire and the Humber

2,330

£313

£628

East Midlands

2,110

£322

£645

West Midlands

2,500

£322

£645

East of England

2,830

£360

£720

London

4,350

£381

£763

South East

4,120

£369

£738

South West

2,420

£327

£655

Northern Ireland

807

£308

£618

Scotland

2,430

£338

£677

Wales

1,240

£320

£642

Total

29,500

£341

£683

These are the modelled average impacts rather than the impacts for an average full time employee (on a given salary), for example the £900 gain previously published for the cumulative impacts.

The Autumn Statement 2023 National insurance reduction estimates are based upon the 2019 to 2020 Survey of Personal Incomes, projected in line with economic assumptions consistent with the Office for Budget Responsibilities November 2023 Economic and Fiscal Outlook.

The Spring Budget 2024 National insurance reduction estimates and cumulative estimates of both policies are based upon the 2019 to 2020 Survey of Personal Incomes, projected in line with economic assumptions consistent with the Office for Budget Responsibilities March 2024 Economic and Fiscal Outlook.


Written Question
National Insurance Contributions
Friday 17th May 2024

Asked by: Paul Howell (Conservative - Sedgefield)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the (a) number of people who financially benefited from the National Insurance reduction announced in the Autumn Statement 2023 and (b) average financial gain from that reduction.

Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)

The estimated number of people who financially benefited from the National insurance reduction in the Autumn Statement and Spring Budget and the associated financial gain for an average employee on £35,404 can be seen in Table 1 below:

Table 1: gain for an average employee on £35,404 from reductions to National Insurance announced in the Autumn Statement 2023 and Spring Budget 2024

2024 to 2025 tax year impacts

Autumn Statement only

Spring Budget only

Cumulative Spring Budget and Autumn Statement

Number of people who financially benefitted from the NICs reduction, 1000s

29,300

29,500

29,500

Gain for average employee with mean employee salary of £35,404

£457

£457

£913

The estimated average financial gain among those benefitting from both the Autumn Statement 2023 and Spring Budget 2024 National insurance reduction, by region, can be seen in the Table 2 below:

Table 2: average financial gain and cumulative gain from reductions to National Insurance announced in the Autumn Statement 2023 and Spring Budget 2024, by region

2024 to 2025 tax year impacts by region

Number of gainers, 1000s

Average gain, Spring Budget only

Average cumulative gain, Autumn Statement and Spring Budget

North East

1,060

£316

£632

North West and Merseyside

3,140

£321

£644

Yorkshire and the Humber

2,330

£313

£628

East Midlands

2,110

£322

£645

West Midlands

2,500

£322

£645

East of England

2,830

£360

£720

London

4,350

£381

£763

South East

4,120

£369

£738

South West

2,420

£327

£655

Northern Ireland

807

£308

£618

Scotland

2,430

£338

£677

Wales

1,240

£320

£642

Total

29,500

£341

£683

These are the modelled average impacts rather than the impacts for an average full time employee (on a given salary), for example the £900 gain previously published for the cumulative impacts.

The Autumn Statement 2023 National insurance reduction estimates are based upon the 2019 to 2020 Survey of Personal Incomes, projected in line with economic assumptions consistent with the Office for Budget Responsibilities November 2023 Economic and Fiscal Outlook.

The Spring Budget 2024 National insurance reduction estimates and cumulative estimates of both policies are based upon the 2019 to 2020 Survey of Personal Incomes, projected in line with economic assumptions consistent with the Office for Budget Responsibilities March 2024 Economic and Fiscal Outlook.


Speech in Commons Chamber - Thu 16 May 2024
Business of the House

Speech Link

View all Paul Howell (Con - Sedgefield) contributions to the debate on: Business of the House

Speech in Commons Chamber - Thu 16 May 2024
Oral Answers to Questions

Speech Link

View all Paul Howell (Con - Sedgefield) contributions to the debate on: Oral Answers to Questions

Division Vote (Commons)
15 May 2024 - Criminal Justice Bill - View Vote Context
Paul Howell (Con) voted No - in line with the party majority and in line with the House
One of 268 Conservative No votes vs 0 Conservative Aye votes
Vote Tally: Ayes - 171 Noes - 272
Division Vote (Commons)
15 May 2024 - Criminal Justice Bill - View Vote Context
Paul Howell (Con) voted No - in line with the party majority and in line with the House
One of 272 Conservative No votes vs 0 Conservative Aye votes
Vote Tally: Ayes - 167 Noes - 275
Division Vote (Commons)
15 May 2024 - Criminal Justice Bill - View Vote Context
Paul Howell (Con) voted No - in line with the party majority and in line with the House
One of 260 Conservative No votes vs 1 Conservative Aye votes
Vote Tally: Ayes - 17 Noes - 268
Division Vote (Commons)
13 May 2024 - Risk-based Exclusion - View Vote Context
Paul Howell (Con) voted No - in line with the party majority and against the House
One of 165 Conservative No votes vs 8 Conservative Aye votes
Vote Tally: Ayes - 170 Noes - 169
Speech in Commons Chamber - Thu 09 May 2024
Miners and Mining Communities

Speech Link

View all Paul Howell (Con - Sedgefield) contributions to the debate on: Miners and Mining Communities

Division Vote (Commons)
8 May 2024 - Finance (No. 2) Bill - View Vote Context
Paul Howell (Con) voted No - in line with the party majority and in line with the House
One of 260 Conservative No votes vs 0 Conservative Aye votes
Vote Tally: Ayes - 198 Noes - 269