With the UK Budget set for 26th November, many IT teams are preparing for yet another round of financial uncertainty. Even before any announcements are made, the discussion around potential tax increases, rising employment costs and changing business incentives is already influencing 2025 planning cycles.
For organisations responsible for infrastructure, refresh projects and ongoing hardware maintenance, the question is simple: how do you plan when the numbers might shift overnight?
In this post, we’ll break down what the Budget may mean for IT buyers, why hardware inflation is already causing problems regardless of government policy, and how refurbished enterprise hardware is becoming a stabilising option for teams trying to manage risk, cost and lead times.
1. Budget Uncertainty: What IT Teams Are Preparing For
While the exact details will only be confirmed on 26th November, several areas are already in scope:
Employer National Insurance
A potential rise in employer NI would increase the cost of hiring and retaining staff. For IT functions already stretched between BAU operations, security, cloud platforms and infrastructure projects, an increase here reduces headroom for capital purchases.
Corporation Tax
Although not guaranteed, any increase would immediately reduce available budget for server, storage and networking investments.
Business Rates Reform
The government has indicated this Budget will include updates on business rates. This could help some sectors, but until the detail is known, planning remains difficult.
Sector-Specific Impact
Retail, construction and parts of the financial sector are expecting to feel the sharpest impact from any tax changes, which may tighten IT budgets further.
The headline issue isn’t just tax policy, it’s the uncertainty. Teams who normally plan refresh cycles months in advance are being forced into short-term thinking.
2. Hardware Inflation Is Already Here and Hitting IT Budgets Before the Budget
Even without the Budget, the cost of hardware has been climbing well into 2025.
DDR5 Price Inflation
DDR5, used in modern high-end servers, has seen significant price rises throughout 2024 and 2025, making new platforms considerably more expensive.
DDR4 Price Surge
DDR4, still the dominant memory standard in proven enterprise systems, has also increased sharply. Some modules have risen well over 100% due to manufacturers phasing out supply in favour of DDR5.
This is especially painful for organisations running large virtualised estates that rely heavily on memory capacity.
Lead Times on Enterprise Hardware
Some new enterprise server lines are also experiencing extended lead times, meaning even if you can justify the cost, you may still be waiting weeks or months for delivery.
3. Why More IT Teams Are Turning to Refurbished Hardware
Given the combination of Budget uncertainty, rising component prices and supply chain delays, it’s no surprise that refurbished enterprise hardware is seeing increased demand.
Cost Stability in an Unpredictable Landscape
Refurbished hardware removes the “new-kit premium” and isn’t subject to the same RAM inflation that’s affecting new systems.
This gives IT managers a way to maintain performance and reliability without gambling on government announcements or vendor cycles.
Immediate Availability
While new hardware often comes with long lead times, refurbished systems are typically in stock, tested and ready for dispatch — reducing project risk.
Enterprise-Grade Reliability
Refurbished doesn’t mean “consumer-level compromises”. The majority of refurbished servers and storage arrays are robust, proven platforms still widely deployed in production environments.
Warranty and Support
With Intelligent Servers, hardware is supplied with:
a 3-year comprehensive warranty,
UK-based technical support, and
access to specialists in our Professional Services team.
That combination makes refurbished a credible alternative to buying new, particularly in a tight budget year.
4. Financing as a Buffer Against Budget Pressure
If the Budget results in squeezed capital budgets, financing becomes an essential tool.
We work with a leading UK finance provider so organisations can spread the cost of refurbished or new hardware.
This turns what would have been a large capital outlay into a predictable monthly operational cost, useful in a year where staffing and tax changes may impact cashflow.
5. What IT Teams Should Be Doing Before 26th November
With the Budget days away, this is the ideal window to:
Review planned refreshes that may be affected by NI or tax changes
Run like-for-like comparisons between new and refurbished hardware
Check current RAM pricing if you’re planning memory-heavy builds
Assess which projects can be brought forward to avoid Budget-day surprises
Speak to suppliers about lead times
Evaluate financing options for 2025 cashflow protection
A little preparation now avoids reactive purchasing later.
Final Thoughts
The numbers will change on 26th November - but the challenges IT teams face won’t.
Hardware costs are rising. Supply chains are unstable. Budget pressure is increasing.
Refurbished enterprise hardware is one of the few ways to push back and stabilise your infrastructure plans without compromising on capability.
If you’d like a like-for-like comparison ahead of the Budget, our team can run the numbers.
