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The Autumn Budget 2025 has brought more changes to business rates and many businesses and property owners could be at risk of higher bills.

Businesses must know if they are affected and seek the right support so they can prepare for any unexpected pressure on their cash flow.

Is the business rates multiplier being reduced?

The Government confirmed that the annual business rates multiplier in England will decrease by between 11.7 per cent and 13.5 per cent.

While this may appear to be good news, most businesses are unlikely to see meaningful savings. Rising rateable values, along with new supplements, mean that many occupiers will be paying more.

The reforms will also introduce a temporary 1p increase in the multiplier in 2026/27 for properties that do not qualify for transitional relief.

What are the changes to Retail, Hospitality and Leisure (RHL) relief?

Retail, Hospitality and Leisure (RHL) relief will reduce again from April 2026.

Properties with a rateable value of up to £51,000 will receive around 20 per cent relief, while those between £51,000 and £500,000 will receive 10 per cent relief.

This follows on from a significant reduction from 75 per cent to 40 per cent in 2025/26.

While this may reduce the burden on larger occupiers who previously funded the relief, smaller businesses may feel the impact through tighter margins.

What does this mean for property owners?

Larger commercial properties with a rateable value above £500,000 will be faced with a super supplement, currently set at around 5.8 per cent.

There will be some protection as the transitional relief annual cap is increasing to 30 per cent.

However, the new Rating List being published late means businesses have limited time to budget.

What are the new cuts to pubs and music venues?

Following backlash from the 2025 Budget, the Government has announced that pubs and live music venues will now get a 15 per cent cut to the new business rate bills from April 2026.

This cut will be frozen for two years and a review will also be conducted on the method used to value them for business rates.

How can we help you prepare?

Businesses should be reviewing their projected rateable values and factoring business rates into their cash flow forecasts.

You must know if you are eligible for reliefs and transitional support and seek advice if you are unsure about how the business rates will affect you.

We can help support your budgeting plans so you can make informed decisions come April 2026.

For further guidance or advice, contact our team today.

From April 2026, the Employment Rights Act will come into effect, bringing reforms to Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) that will affect every employer.

It will change how SSP is calculated and create new responsibilities for employers.

What are the changes to SSP?

One of the biggest changes is the removal of the three waiting days within current legislation. SSP will instead become payable from the first day of sickness, rather than from day four.

This means employers will need to pay SSP for short absences that may have previously gone unpaid.

The Lower Earnings Limit (LEL) will also be abolished and part-time, low-paid and casual workers will now qualify for SSP.

How SSP is calculated will also change and the payment rate will be the lower of:

• 80 per cent of Average Weekly Earnings (AWE)
• The standard SSP flat rate, which is rising to £123.25 per week

SSP will still be based on average weekly earnings, usually calculated over the eight weeks before the sickness absence.

If your employee is already receiving SSP before 6 April 2026, transitional protections will apply.

This protection lasts for the remainder of their 28-week entitlement, provided they do not return to work or end their contract beforehand.

How should employers prepare for SSP changes?

These changes will bring additional responsibilities to your payroll teams and you must start planning now.

This includes:

• Reviewing sickness absence policies to reflect day-one SSP
• Updating contracts and handbooks on waiting days or earning thresholds
• Checking payroll systems can handle percentage-based SSP calculations
• Budgeting and forecasting costs, as more employees will qualify for SSP
• Communicating clearly with employees so new obligations are met

How can we support you?

Our payroll specialists can help you model the financial changes to SSP and make sure your systems and calculations are compliant.

We can also review your policies and help reduce the risk of costly payroll errors.

For further guidance or advice on the SSP changes, contact our team today.