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How to reduce child poverty: compare the policy options
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<p>Use these charts to compare policies for reducing child poverty and to examine how child poverty rates have changed over time across different groups.</p>
3 October 2024
How can government reduce child poverty?
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<p>We're exploring why there's been an increase in child poverty since 2010 and options the government has to reduce this.</p>
3 October 2024
Are people saving enough into their pensions?
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Automatic enrolment has been successful in getting more people into workplace pensions, but are they saving enough?
20 September 2024
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<p>This online event looked at the case for reforming capital gains tax and what the government could do in the upcoming budget.</p>
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The IFS Green Budget will assess the state of the UK economy and the new government’s fiscal position ahead of their first Budget.
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Join us for a special in-person recording of an episode of the IFS podcast the week ahead of Rachel Reeves' all-important first Budget.
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What would the picture for the Scottish Government’s finances be if Scotland votes yes? What if Scotland votes no?

David Phillips

Published on 1 August 2014

The outlook for the public finances of an independent Scotland is a key battleground in the referendum debate. Why? Because ultimately it affects how much money individuals and families will have in their pockets, and the quality and quantity of public services they can enjoy in the years ahead.

The outlook for the public finances of an independent Scotland is a key battleground in the referendum debate. Why? Because the health of the government’s finances determine how much can be spent on public services like schools, the NHS, and welfare and pensions. It is also key to understanding whether taxes can be cut or need to be increased to avoid the government borrowing unsustainably. So ultimately it affects how much money individuals and families will have in their pockets, and the quality and quantity of public services they can enjoy in the years ahead.

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David Phillips

Associate Director

David is Head of Devolved and Local Government Finance. He also works on tax in developing countries as part of our TaxDev centre.