Today’s Budget focused on easing pressure on households and businesses while setting out the Government’s longer-term plans for public services and the economy.   

Given the current economic climate and cost-of-living crisis, it is unsurprising that specifics concerning mental health provision featured little in the statement.  

The need to urgently address the nation’s mental health challenges has not gone away. The Government’s forthcoming response to the Milburn Review and its new Mental Health Strategy for England must provide a more concrete plan for improving the nation’s mental health.

Counsellors and psychotherapists are key to delivering this ambition.  

Prevention offers an opportunity

One notable announcement was the Government’s intention to introduce a ring-fenced preventative departmental expenditure limit at the next Spending Review in 2027. This new category of spending is intended to protect programmes that deliver benefits over the longer term and help prevent problems from escalating.  

We believe counselling and psychotherapy should be part of this approach. Timely access to psychological support can help people address difficulties before they become more serious, supporting their wellbeing and helping them to participate in education, work and everyday life. The Chancellor’s focus on prevention provides an opportunity to recognise the role of the counselling professions in delivering these ambitions.  

Supporting young people into work and education

The Budget highlighted the challenge of supporting almost one million young people who are not in education, employment or training (NEET), announcing that the forthcoming Milburn Review will strengthen pathways into work. Mental health difficulties can be one of the barriers young people face, reinforcing the importance of accessible psychological support alongside employment and education initiatives.  

These priorities reflect themes raised in the independent review into the prevalence of, and support for, mental health conditions, ADHD and autism, chaired by Professor Peter Fonagy. In its response to the review, the Government pointed to the forthcoming Milburn Review response and Mental Health Strategy as opportunities to set out its plans for future investment and support.  

As these plans develop, we’ll continue to work with policymakers to highlight the contribution counselling and psychotherapy can make to improving mental health and supporting the Government’s ambitions for mental health and wider society.   

Making the case for counselling and psychotherapy

Martin Bell, Head of Policy & Public Affairs at BACP, said:  

“The Chancellor’s focus on prevention, NHS productivity and helping people into work presents a real need for Government to make better use of the UK’s qualified counselling and psychotherapy workforce. Timely access to psychological therapy can help people address mental health difficulties before they escalate, support young people to engage in education and employment, and contribute to healthier, more productive workplaces.   

“As the Government develops its preventative spending plans and reforms public services, we want to see counselling and psychotherapy recognised as an essential part of the solution — improving access to support, making better use of existing capacity and delivering better outcomes for individuals, communities and the economy.”