Spring Statement 26: A 'missed opportunity' for group protection

On the heels of the Spring Statement yesterday (3 March, 2026), which saw protection fall under the radar once again, the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) predicted a rise in the unemployment rate this year. According to the OBR's economic and fiscal forecast, published shortly after the Statement, unemployment is set to rise to a peak of 5.33% in 2026, up from 4.75% in 2025. Post 2026, the OBR said it predicts unemployment to fall, reaching a rate of 4.1% by 2030. Katharine Moxham, spokesperson for GRiD, says that although a quiet fiscal event was expected, policies that encour...