Chancellor Choices and Lost Pensions

Next week, the Chancellor, John Healey, will stand up in Parliament to deliver his first Budget. The former Defence Minister is under pressure to find money to boost defence spending. He has to pay for changes to help the Prime Minister meet his pledge to spread what he calls "good growth" to every postcode. And money is needed for his other promise to help with the cost of living. As bills rise what can be done?

Billions of pounds is sitting in millions of lost pension pots according to the latest research by the Pensions Policy Institute. Around 75% of pension providers responded to the survey which showed an estimated £18.7bn is sitting in 3mn lost pots, worth an average of just over £6,000 each. What can be done to reunite people with that money?

The Prime Minister Andy Burnham has committed in parliament to helping tens of thousands of young adults with learning disabilities get access to their own money sitting in government backed Child Trust Funds worth, on average, £2,000.

And more than half of first-time buyers are paying more each month on their mortgage than they previously paid in rent. Those figures come from the estate agent Hamptons who analysed mortgage applications made in September.

Presenter: Paul Lewis
Reporters: Dan Whitworth and Jo Krasner
Researcher: Eimear Devlin
Editor: Jess Quayle
Senior News Editor: Sara Wadeson

(First broadcast 12pm Saturday 24th October 2026)