Kate Ogden

There have been increasing calls for reform of Plan 2 student loans, but there are no easy options for the Chancellor.

A cap on maximum interest rates will see less interest added to the Plan 2 student loan balances of higher-earning graduates from September 2026.  

Which graduates would repay less under different reforms to Plan 2 student loans, and when? And how much might these proposals cost taxpayers?

Student loans now top £50k for many graduates. We explain how repayments work, who pays most, and whether the system is 'unfair'.

The government has announced changes to funding for English councils, and that it will compensate councils for 90% of historic SEND deficits.

Plan 2 student loans were issued to English students who started university between 2012 and 2022.

Changes to English council funding over the next three years will help align funding with assessed needs – but challenges and issues remain.

The online launch of 2026 IFS Annual Report on Education Spending in England, funded by the Nuffield Foundation.

Education spending in England is at a crossroads: tight budgets, escalating pressures, and shifting demographics.

This annual report compares spending across different stages of education in England and analyses the pressures and choices facing policymakers.

David Phillips and Kate Ogden's presentation at the Local Government Finance Conference 2026

The government has confirmed a 16% cash increase in overall council funding over 3 years – and a big redistribution between areas.

How will changes announced at Budget 2025 affect SEND spending in future? How can the government deal with historic deficits accumulated by councils?

The White Paper is this government’s most wide-ranging statement on skills policy to date, but as a whole falls well short of a coherent plan.

The government’s White Paper on post-16 skills falls short of a coherent plan. We assess the funding and finance implications of the proposed reforms.

An immediate response to announced changes to government plans for reform of the local government funding system in England

We assess the reasonableness of the approaches proposed by MHCLG, making recommendations for checks and potential improvements.

A presentation on the fiscal situation, implications for councils and upcoming council funding reforms.

Reforms to council funding would better match needs but bring big changes - some councils face deep cuts while others see substantial gains.

A submission by IFS researchers to a government consultation on the approach to determining new funding allocations for local authorities in England.