Inequality - The IFS Deaton Review

Inequalities and public policy: implications of the IFS Deaton Review

On 28 April 2026 from 09:00 to 15:30

In-person

Westminster

The IFS-Deaton Review’s final workshop, where we explored the review's findings and their policy implications in the UK context.

Inequalities in the UK - in education, health, income, wealth and political power, as well as across places, ethnicities and genders - matter to many people and are the subject of significant public debate. Understanding the drivers of these inequalities is essential to designing appropriate policy responses.

Over the past six years, the IFS-Deaton Review of Inequalities, funded by the Nuffield Foundation, has produced a comprehensive body of evidence on the causes and consequences of these inequalities.

To mark the conclusion of the review, this workshop brought together researchers, policymakers and practitioners to explore what the evidence means in practice, coinciding with the publication of a new book drawing together the review's findings and the launch of an accompanying report on the lessons for UK policymakers.

The event opened with an overview of the review and its implications for policy, before turning to four themed sessions:

Educational inequalities

What drives gaps in educational attainment, and to what extent does the school system narrow them? We will discuss different approaches that the government can take, particularly focusing on improving attainment of poorer pupils.

Good jobs

There is increasing interest in valuable attributes of jobs that are not just the wage or salary, such as career progression, non-wage benefits, autonomy, and flexibility. This session will examine reasons for a lack of good jobs, how current policy affects them, and what could work in the future.

Wealth inequalities

This session will examine patterns of wealth inequality, how it has changed, and where the taxation of wealth fits in with concerns in some quarters about these inequalities.

Geographical inequalities

Differences in productivity and opportunity across different parts of the UK are wide. This session will consider different elements of geographical inequality, about which there is significant public concern, and why policy to address this can be particularly challenging.