The £600 billion problem awaiting the next government podcastWe speak to David Gauke and Giles Wilkes, two experts who have been at the heart of the spending review process.25 April 2024
Be the Chancellor Our interactive tool lets you be the Chancellor. Change spending plans, set tax policies and see how your choices impact borrowing and debt.
Should we worry about government debt? podcastDavid Miles joins us to discuss high government debt and its impact on the economy. 11 April 2024
LSE-IFS-UCL-CEPR-Imperial Business School workshop on household finance workshop 24 May 2024 The IFS, in association with LSE, UCL, CEPR, and Imperial Business School, are organising a workshop on household finance.
IFS-CAGE workshop on the economics of mental health workshop 18 June 2024 The IFS and CAGE Research Centre (University of Warwick) are co-organising a workshop on the economics of mental health.
6th World Bank/IFS/ODI Public Finance Conference | Driving Progress: Public Finance and Structural Transformation conference 25 September 2024 We invite researchers from both academic and policy institutions to submit a paper or an extended abstract of two or more pages by April.
Jobs landing pageAt IFS, we recruit and train top-quality economists and professional support staff. We aim to foster a respectful and inclusive working environment.20 July 2022
Centre for the Microeconomic Analysis of Public Policy The Research Centre at the heart of IFS is the CPP.
Overly generous tax treatment of pension pots at death needs to be swiftly ended Press ReleasePensions are treated more generously by the tax system as a vehicle for bequests than they are as a retirement income vehicle. 15 December 2022
Scottish Budget 2023-24 confirms big cuts to many public services Press ReleaseIFS response to the Scottish Budget.15 December 2022
The NHS in 2022: more funding, more staff, but treating fewer patients as COVID impacts linger Press ReleaseThis report examines how NHS funding, resources and treatment volumes compare with pre-pandemic levels.14 December 2022
Autumn Statement leaves colleges, nurseries and universities out in the cold Press ReleaseColleges, nurseries and universities facing severe financial challenges from higher-than-expected inflation 12 December 2022
The number of new disability benefit claimants has doubled in a year Press ReleaseThe number of working-age people newly awarded disability benefits doubled between July 2021 and July 2022. This report investigates that increase. 7 December 2022
IFS Deputy Research Director Sonya Krutikova awarded Jacobs Foundation Research Fellowship AnnouncementSonya Krutikova has been awarded a Jacobs Foundation Research Fellowship for 2023–2025.25 November 2022
UK ethnic minorities seeing sharp progress in education, but wages and wealth lag behind Press ReleaseHowever, big differences remain between ethnic minority groups, new IFS Deaton Review of Inequalities chapter shows14 November 2022
Funding for the early years likely to fall by 8% up to 2024 as a result of faster-than-expected cost rises Press Release"Early years providers are facing rapidly rising costs that are eroding the value of their budgets."11 November 2022
Wealth is the growing economic divide in the UK today Press Release"While income remains important, it is wealth that is increasingly at the heart of the most pressing economic inequalities today."9 November 2022
IFS response to new public finance figures Press Release"A key focus for the next Prime Minister and their chosen Chancellor needs to be fiscal responsibility."21 October 2022
Public service cuts and disjointed funding systems for local services put ‘Levelling Up’ in danger Press ReleaseA new report out today finds that the current funding systems for schools, councils, public health and the police are ‘not fit for purpose’.20 October 2022
Lively Minds one of ten finalists for LEGO foundation ‘Build a World of Play’ award AnnouncementThe LEGO foundation’s initiative will award approximately 117 million USD to five organisations solving the early childhood development crisis.20 October 2022
Call for papers: WASH economics conference 2023 AnnouncementAbstract submissions are now open for a new academic conference focused on the economics of water supply, sanitation and hygiene (WASH). 19 October 2022
An immediate response to the Scottish Government’s paper on independence and the Scottish economy Press ReleaseThe Scottish Government has today published a blueprint for economic policy post-independence.17 October 2022
Monetary policy techniques add to strains on the public finances: reforms could bring big benefits, but costs too Press ReleaseSir Paul Tucker writes for the IFS Green Budget on how rising interest rates, quantitative easing and current monetary policy techniques interact.14 October 2022
With a weaker economy, getting government finances on a sustainable path without cancelling tax cuts could force Chancellor into big and painful spending cuts Press ReleaseKwasi Kwarteng would need to announce a fiscal tightening of more than £60 billion just to stabilise debt as a fraction of national income in 2026–27.11 October 2022
Even if real pay is cut by 5%, public sector workforce may need to be cut by more than 200,000 by 2024 to stay within current spending plans Press ReleasePublic sector workers will receive pay awards of around 5% this year, on average.8 October 2022
For every £1 given to households through headline cuts to taxes, £2 is being taken away in stealthy freezes Press ReleaseBy 2025–26 these freezes take away £2 for every £1 given to households through the headline personal tax cuts. 6 October 2022
IFS response to U-turn on plan to cut 45p income tax rate Press Release"The Chancellor still has a lot of work to do if he is to display a credible commitment to fiscal sustainability."3 October 2022
Reversing NICs and corporation tax rises, as economic growth stalls, would leave debt on an unsustainable path Press ReleaseThe Energy Price Guarantee was announced to Parliament without any government estimates of what its cost might be.21 September 2022
