Life - Articles - Budget 2026 leaves health cover taxed like car insurance

Dave discusses what the Budget means for the affordability of workplace health benefits, the conversations brokers are having with clients at renewal, and the role of preventative support in helping employers manage absence and retain staff.

Dave Capper, CEO at Westfield Health: “Health and wellbeing support has never mattered more in the workplace. Our Annual Workplace Wellbeing Survey found 63% of people who left work through ill health believe the right support could have kept them in work. Health insurance and cash plans are often how employers give their people that support, quickly, when they need it.

“But today’s Budget does little to ease the squeeze businesses are feeling. Employers have absorbed higher National Insurance, a rising wage floor and day-one sick pay, and many are making difficult decisions about where their money goes. Brokers are having those conversations with clients every day.

“Health support shouldn’t be the thing that gets cut. It’s what keeps people well, in work and productive. We’d like to see the Government recognise that, and make it easier for employers to keep investing in their people.”