The Times has said cases sent to the official forecaster at the weekend included the two commitments, which would cost a total of £11bn in 2023-24. Final decisions have not been made, but Mr Sunak and Jeremy Hunt, his chancellor, are said to be instinctively opposed to breaking promises on pensions and benefits. That would mean deeper cuts in public spending elsewhere and bigger tax increases. Of the financial plans, which will be announced on November 17, Sunak told The Times at the weekend: “You will be right to judge, is that [the autumn budget] one
