The National Autistic Society has welcomed several announcements made in today’s Autumn Budget, including:

• A £22.6 billion increase to the day-to-day health budget 
• A commitment to reducing NHS waiting lists 
• A £1 billion investment for SEND 
• An increase to the Carer’s Allowance Threshold 
• An extension of the Household Support Fund 

Tim Nicholls, Assistant Director of Policy, Research & Strategy at the National Autistic Society, said: "The Chancellor said her Budget would "fix the foundations” and we are pleased to see some promising first steps in improving services autistic people need. But truly making our country work for autistic people will take much more in the years to come. We welcome the Government’s £22.6 billion increase in health spending and the commitment to reduce waiting lists. But let’s make sure that includes autistic people by setting out ringfenced funding to tackle waiting times for assessments and end the health inequality autistic people face. 

"The SEND system has been crying out for more funding, so this is very welcome. To really impact autistic children’s lives, we want to see it used to make sure no families wait longer than the statutory 20 weeks for an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) for their child, that parents don’t have to resort to legal challenges to get the most basic support, and that all teachers have sufficient autism training. 

"Fixing the foundations is a good start, but we want to see those foundations used to stabilise and strengthen our failing health and education systems and build a society that works for all autistic people."