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Why we need to reform inheritance tax
podcast
We discuss the issues with inheritance tax and how to reform it.
6 December 2023
The Autumn Statement 2023 explained in 90 seconds
explainer
Paul Johnson responds to Jeremy Hunt's 2023 Autumn Statement.
22 November 2023
Cake or biscuit? The UK's byzantine VAT system explained
podcast
This week, we dive into the oddities of the VAT system.
16 November 2023
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Guides, manuals, software and more Fiscal facts: public finances, tax and benefits
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Education spending: an engine for levelling-up?
event 11 December 2023
The launch of the 2023 IFS Annual Report on Education Spending in England, funded by the Nuffield Foundation.
Social mobility and wealth
conference 12 December 2023
At this in-person event, IFS researchers will share findings from ESRC-funded research on social mobility and its drivers.
Where next for the state pension?
event 13 December 2023
At this online event, IFS researchers will present findings from a major new report on the future of the state pension in the UK.
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Centre for the Microeconomic Analysis of Public Policy
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The ESRC has funded a research centre at IFS since 1991, recognised as a global centre of excellence and now with UKRI Research Institute status.
15 July 2022
Jobs
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At 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
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Laurence O'Brien

Research Economist

Laurence joined the IFS in 2020 as a Research Economist in the Retirement, Saving and Ageing sector. He currently works on projects related to pension savings over the lifecycle and the labour market activity of older workers. Prior to joining the IFS, he worked as a research professional at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.

Education

MPhil (Distinction) Economic Research, University of Cambridge, 2019

BA (1st Class Honours) Economics, University of Cambridge, 2018

Contact

Email: Email

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Laurence O'Brien's CV

PDF | 81.44 KB

Laurence O'Brien: all content

Showing 1 – 20 of 31 results

Staff and students meeting in the office

IFS recruitment event 2023

Event 11 October 2023 at 17:00

At this event we are offering an opportunity to meet current IFS staff, and ask questions about life at IFS and our recruitment process.

Major new pensions review warns of substantial risks to finances of future generations of pensioners

Press Release

A substantial new Pensions Review will determine what needs to be done to secure decent retirement outcomes for future generations of pensioners.

20 April 2023

Challenges for the UK pension system: the case for a pensions review

Report

This report makes the case that economic and policy changes in the last two decades necessitate a comprehensive review of the UK pension system.

20 April 2023

A reduced discount rate for public sector pensions will add billions to employer costs

Comment

A reduction in the UK’s long-term growth prospects means that public service pension promises will be costlier to meet in future.

6 April 2023

The planned increase in the state pension age from 67 to 68

Comment

There are reports that the government will no longer increase the state pension age between 2037-39. We examine the key considerations for this delay.

25 March 2023

A photo of a woman saving money into a jar

What drives how much workers are saving in their pensions?

Event 8 March 2023 at 10:00 100 St John Street, London EC1M 4EH

This event, hosted by the Nuffield Foundation, launched a series of new reports investigating the drivers of pension saving among workers.

For the first time, men and women reaching the state pension age now have similar state pension incomes; but gender gaps in private pension income will persist for decades

Press Release

Gender gaps in pension saving are almost entirely driven by differences in labour market patterns.

8 March 2023

Data on private pension saving in UK surveys

Report

This report documents the quality of private pension saving data collected in UK household surveys.

8 March 2023

The gender gap in pension saving

Report

We document disparities in pension incomes and pension saving between men and women in the UK, and analyse the drivers behind these gaps.

8 March 2023

Employees do not increase pension contribution rates even when they get a big pay rise, missing an opportunity to help secure their retirement incomes

Press Release

Neither big pay rises, nor paying off the mortgage, nor increased tax incentives result in employees increasing their retirement saving.

24 February 2023

The effect of tax incentives on private pension saving

Working Paper

This paper estimates the responsiveness of private pension saving to tax incentives for employees in England and Wales.

24 February 2023

When and why do employees change their pension saving?

Report

We analyse how employees’ pension saving responds to changes in earnings and employer, tax incentives, and major life events.

24 February 2023

They see me automatically enrolling. They saving?

Comment

Are people saving enough for retirement? What can pension saving teach us about how people make economic decisions?

1 December 2022

Pay, pensions & pressures on public services

Event 25 October 2022 at 13:00

Higher inflation is causing budgetary challenges in the NHS, schools, local government, and beyond.

Pay, pensions & pressures on public services

Presentation

Higher inflation is causing budgetary challenges in the NHS, schools, local government, and beyond.

25 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 Release

Public sector workers will receive pay awards of around 5% this year, on average.

8 October 2022

Public spending, pay and pensions

Report

The public sector pay settlements announced this July will pose severe budgetary challenges for many areas of government.

8 October 2022

Latest increase in state pension age from 65 to 66 led to income poverty rates among 65-year-olds more than doubling

Press Release

Reductions in state pension income meant that the absolute income poverty rate for 65-year-olds rose by 14 percentage points (nearly 100,000 people).

20 June 2022

How did increasing the state pension age from 65 to 66 affect household incomes?

Report

We quantify the impact of increasing the state pension age from 65 to 66 on household incomes, poverty and public finances, after – in particular – ta

20 June 2022

Low earners much more likely to respond to increase in state pension age to 66 by working longer

Press Release

The latest increase in the state pension age from 65 to 66 has significantly boosted the employment of both men and women.

25 January 2022

Laurence O'Brien

Research Economist

Education

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Laurence O'Brien: all content

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Showing 1 – 20 of 31 results

IFS recruitment event 2023

Major new pensions review warns of substantial risks to finances of future generations of pensioners

Challenges for the UK pension system: the case for a pensions review

A reduced discount rate for public sector pensions will add billions to employer costs

The planned increase in the state pension age from 67 to 68

What drives how much workers are saving in their pensions?

For the first time, men and women reaching the state pension age now have similar state pension incomes; but gender gaps in private pension income will persist for decades

Data on private pension saving in UK surveys

The gender gap in pension saving

Employees do not increase pension contribution rates even when they get a big pay rise, missing an opportunity to help secure their retirement incomes

The effect of tax incentives on private pension saving

When and why do employees change their pension saving?

They see me automatically enrolling. They saving?

Pay, pensions & pressures on public services

Pay, pensions & pressures on public services

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

Public spending, pay and pensions

Latest increase in state pension age from 65 to 66 led to income poverty rates among 65-year-olds more than doubling

How did increasing the state pension age from 65 to 66 affect household incomes?

Low earners much more likely to respond to increase in state pension age to 66 by working longer

Featured content

Additional resources

Laurence O'Brien: all content

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Showing 1 – 20 of 31 results