IFS | Institute for Fiscal Studies

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.

IFS ‘Be the Chancellor’ tool illustrates all-important choices at upcoming Spending Review

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The 'Be the Chancellor' tool, built by IFS researchers in partnership with Nesta, illustrates key choices and fiscal challenges Rachel Reeves faces.

21 May 2025

Why is the government reforming health-related benefits?

podcast

We discuss the government's welfare reforms aimed at helping sick and disabled people into work, and what the changes mean for health-related benefits

14 May 2025

Working in your 60s: a way to stay young for some

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On average, women who remained in work for longer following increases in the state pension age saw improved cognition and less physical disability.

13 May 2025

Radical tax and spending plans are fine, but they must be realistic

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The rise of Reform and the Greens is healthy for democracy, but not if their manifestos are sheer fantasy

12 May 2025

The relationship between NHS waiting lists and health-related benefit claims

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Have increases in NHS waiting lists and waiting times contributed to the growing number of people claiming working-age health-related benefits?

2 May 2025

Here’s a pension tweak for nudging civil servants to work past 60

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Public sector pension rules are a mess that helps neither workers nor the government. Fixing them could be a win-win.

28 April 2025

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Latest working papers

Our IFS working paper series publishes academic papers by staff and IFS associates.

Female genital cutting and the slave trade

working paper

We investigate the historical origins of female genital cutting (FGC) and how FGC is associated with the Red Sea route of the African slave trade.

10 May 2025

Measuring cost of living inequality during an inflation surge

working paper

We provide new evidence that inflation inequality surged during the 2021–2023 cost-of living crisis.

9 May 2025

The health effects of universal early childhood interventions: evidence from Sure Start

working paper

We estimate the health impacts of Sure Start, a universal integrated ECI in England, from infancy to adolescence.

9 May 2025

Browse all our working papers

Journal articles

Our staff and associates contribute papers to leading academic journals.

The impact of work on cognition and physical disability: Evidence from English women

journal articleLabour Economics

We show that remaining in work has significant positive causal effects on the average cognition and physical mobility of older women in England.

13 May 2025

Interpreting Cohort Profiles of Life Cycle Earnings Volatility

journal articleJournal of Labor Economics

We present new estimates of earnings volatility over time and the life cycle by race and human capital, using Social Security earnings.

7 May 2025

The Effect of Classroom Rank on Learning throughout Elementary School: Experimental Evidence from Ecuador

journal articleJournal of Labor Economics

We study the impact of classroom rank on children’s learning using a unique experiment from Ecuador.

7 May 2025

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CPP site background (researchers talking)

Centre for the Microeconomic Analysis of Public Policy

The ESRC has funded a Centre at IFS since 1991. We are recognised as a global centre of excellence and have official ESRC Research Institute status

A-level / Post-16 resources

Designed to help teachers, these resources are intended to challenge students to think beyond the syllabus and analyse real world issues.

Announcements

News about IFS research and researchers.

Call for papers: 7th World Bank/ODI Global/IFS Public Finance Conference

announcement

We are pleased to announce the 7th World Bank/ODI Global/IFS Public Finance Conference, taking place in London, UK, on September 25-26, 2025.

2 April 2025

Helen Miller appointed as new Director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies

announcement

The Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) is delighted to announce that Helen Miller has been appointed as its next Director.

20 March 2025

Economic and Social Research Council awards over £10 million for Centre for the Microeconomic Analysis of Public Policy at the Institute for Fiscal Studies

announcement

The UKRI Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) has renewed its support for the Centre for the Microeconomic Analysis of Public Policy (CPP).

18 March 2025

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Featured researchers

IFS has a strong record in training excellent social scientists, some of whom continue to work at IFS for many years; others go on to use the skills they have acquired in academia, policymaking, business or the media.

See all our researchers here

Darcey Snape

Research Economist

Darcey joined the IFS in 2024 as a research economist in the Education and Skills sector.

Tom Waters

Associate Director

Tom is an Associate Director at the IFS and Head of the Income, Work and Welfare sector.

Our impact stats

71: working papers written by IFS authors in 2024
102: journal articles published by IFS authors in 2024. Over the past decade we have had 47 articles in the top five economics journals
71,967: mentions in the UK media in 2024
270: mentions in parliamentary debates in 2024
368: UK government policy documents that cited IFS and its research in 2024

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Rigorous, trusted economic analysis and commentary is needed now more than ever

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Announcements

Featured researchers

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