Our Response to the Autumn Budget 2025

Retired homeowners are facing a growing set of financial and practical challenges as they manage their living arrangements in later life, and sadly this week’s Budget didn’t offer any relief. Many want to cut back on time consuming property maintenance, unlock the value in their homes, move closer to family, or to take account of their changing health needs. Despite this and without a clear trigger, it’s easy to continue "making do", delaying decisions that could significantly improve their quality of life.

Financial uncertainty plays a central role in this hesitation, especially for a generation who’ve lived through the ups and downs of the property market and are now seeing homes take longer to sell. The hassle of arranging viewings, managing estate agents, and navigating complex property chains act as a major deterrent. Hopes were high for some support for the UK housing market in the Budget, but unfortunately this support didn’t materialise. 

Supporting older generations

In later life, delaying a move can sadly have a negative impact on quality of life if an existing home is becoming unsuitable, or is a distance from family or friends. A lack of social interaction can increase the risk of loneliness. McCarthy & Stone developments are built in locations with easy access to essential services such as local shops and supermarkets, health services and public transport. And they also provide a ready-made community within the development itself, where homeowners can socialise as much or as little as they want.

With years of experience in retirement living, McCarthy & Stone understand what retirees want and provide quality solutions to the challenges they can face by offering flexible moving options that reduce stress and uncertainty. For example, as well as the option to buy a McCarthy & Stone apartment outright, they also offer shared ownership, or selected apartments can be rented, and with assured tenancies renters can live in their homes for as long as they wish. This option works well for people who want to release capital from their home or don’t want to leave behind a property to be sold. Releasing capital could also boost their lifestyle or mean they can help family financially.  

Making moving simple

To help homeowners make the move quickly and easily, McCarthy & Stone’s Part Exchange scheme means they become your property’s buyer (at an average of 96.7% of market value). This allows retirees to achieve a fixed price for their home and avoid the lottery of viewings, property chains and lengthy sale times, so they can focus on preparing for a move to their new home instead. The Smooth Move scheme also offers removals, as well as help with packing and fees.

McCarthy & Stone can also offer advice and help with claiming support they might not have known they were entitled to, such as Attendance Allowance. This support isn’t means tested and the McCarthy & Stone team have helped many homeowners claim this extra help.

As the Budget announcement fails to support retirees looking to move, McCarthy & Stone’s role becomes even more critical for older people who are reassessing their living arrangements. Providing safe, warm and secure homes – alongside flexible ownership and moving options – helps to give retirees an alternative to staying in their property for longer than they want, and to benefit from improved wellbeing by living in the right home for them.