Here is the rewritten story with the unsupported numeric claim removed: Reader Q&A: Budget questions answered by John Healey and Hilary Osborne The budget has been revealed, and our money and economics correspondents, Hilary Osborne and Heather Stewart, are live on the Guardian's website answering your questions. They are discussing the impact of the budget on individuals, the country, and whether Chancellor John Healey has done enough to prepare for the challenges ahead. One reader, manicmid, asked if the budget was a case of "tinkering around the edges" and deferring big unpopular choices. Heather Stewart responded that Labour strategists are adamant that they wouldn't have raised taxes, despite the dire state of public services. She noted that the Tories didn't seem to gain electoral credit for Jeremy Hunt's cuts to national insurance contributions in his previous budgets. Another question posed was whether Labour should have broken their manifesto promises to raise taxes, given the impact of the Iran war on the government's finances. Heather Stewart replied that while John Healey won't tell people how to spend their money, the government's rhetoric is that they can't offset the impact of higher energy prices completely, but will try to help. She suggested that the Chancellor could have gone further, such as taxing banks more heavily to fund a more generous package. The budget has also introduced some longer-term changes aimed at reducing energy costs and making the UK less vulnerable to future shocks. However, these changes are unlikely to bear fruit for a long time.