Navigating the Autumn Budget: What It Means for Mortgages and How Accord is Responding
Guest Blog Writer: Angelika Christian, Strategic Partnerships & Propositions Manager
14 December 2025For brokers, this means navigating a landscape of affordability pressures and evolving client needs. But there’s good news: lenders like Accord are stepping up with changes designed to help more people achieve homeownership and support landlords facing affordability challenges.
In this blog, we’ll explore what the Budget means for the industry and how Accord’s recent updates give brokers practical tools to support more clients.
Autumn Budget Headlines: What Happened?
Rachel Reeves’ second Budget delivered on expectations: fiscal consolidation through around £30bn of tax rises, leaving a larger-than-expected headroom against the government’s stability rule. This rule ensures day-to-day spending is matched by revenue within three years, aiming for fiscal stability by 2029–2030.
Key measures include:
High-Value Property Surcharge: A new council tax surcharge on homes worth over £2m, starting at £2,500 annually and rising for properties above £5m.
Increase by 2% tax rate on dividends, property & savings income
Frozen Income Tax Thresholds: Extended for three years from 2028–29, pulling more earners into higher tax bands.
Other Measures: NICs on salary-sacrificed pensions, reduced ISA limits, and changes to dividend and savings income tax.
Increase by 2% tax rate on dividends, property & savings income
Frozen Income Tax Thresholds: Extended for three years from 2028–29, pulling more earners into higher tax bands.
Other Measures: NICs on salary-sacrificed pensions, reduced ISA limits, and changes to dividend and savings income tax.
Find out more on Max’s thoughts after the budget here:
- What has the budget brought us?
- What does that mean for interest rates?
- What does that mean for the economy?
What Does This Mean for Brokers and Clients?
For brokers, the Budget reinforces a familiar theme: affordability remains the biggest challenge.
First-Time Buyers: With no new government schemes or stamp duty relief, the dream of homeownership still feels distant for many. Rising living costs and high house prices mean lenders must innovate to keep doors open.
Buy-to-Let Landlords: Higher taxes on rental income and frozen thresholds will erode profitability. Expect more conversations about portfolio restructuring, incorporation, and refinancing.
Consumer Confidence: After months of speculation, clarity is welcome. Combined with expectations of interest rate cuts in 2026, brokers can help clients plan ahead with confidence.
As Chris Hill, Head of Sales at Accord highlighted:
Buy-to-Let Landlords: Higher taxes on rental income and frozen thresholds will erode profitability. Expect more conversations about portfolio restructuring, incorporation, and refinancing.
Consumer Confidence: After months of speculation, clarity is welcome. Combined with expectations of interest rate cuts in 2026, brokers can help clients plan ahead with confidence.
As Chris Hill, Head of Sales at Accord highlighted:
Accord’s Response: Why We Made These Changes
Against this backdrop, Accord’s recent criteria changes aren’t just technical tweaks, they’re strategic moves to help brokers support more clients.
For First-Time Buyers:
Affordability remains the biggest hurdle for first-time buyers. Many have strong credit profiles and stable employment yet struggle to meet the minimum income thresholds required for higher loan-to-income multiples. To better support these clients, we’ve removed the minimum income requirement for first-time buyers. This means we can now offer up to 5.5x income (subject to criteria), giving more buyers the opportunity to take that first step onto the property ladder. Previously, this was only available to those earning £50k or more.
For Joint Borrower Sole Proprietor (JBSP):
Family support is often the key to unlocking homeownership. Our enhancements make JBSP lending more accessible. For Buy-to-Let:
Landlords face rising costs and tighter margins. Our improvements to top slicing criteria are designed to give brokers more options when rental income alone doesn’t stack up. This helps experienced landlords maintain portfolios and supports first-time landlords entering the market responsibly. As Max Shepherd summed up:
Looking Ahead – Opportunities for Brokers
The Budget may not have delivered sweeping housing reforms, but it reinforces the need for proactive advice. Brokers who understand the implications of tax changes and leverage innovative lending solutions will stand out.
With inflation easing and rate cuts expected in 2026, there’s light at the end of the tunnel. In the meantime, Accord’s changes give brokers practical tools to help clients overcome affordability hurdles, whether it’s a first-time buyer struggling with income requirements or a landlord navigating tighter margins.
The Autumn Budget sets a cautious tone for the housing market, but it also highlights the importance of lender innovation. Accord’s latest changes are designed with one goal: to help brokers say “yes” more often and support clients in achieving their property ambitions.
For full details on our updates and how they can help your clients, visit our criteria page or speak to our broker support team or your Accord BDM.
