Tom Wernham

We highlight the key theoretical predictions about rent controls and summarise what empirical research reveals about their effects in practice. 

A manifesto pledging a bigger welfare state with or without independence, but which fails to properly confront the fiscal implications of its plans

A focus on improving existing services rather than new entitlements or tax cuts

Scotland's ambitious 10% child poverty target by 2030 looks highly unlikely to be met despite significant devolved spending.

Scotland’s child poverty rate is lower than in the rest of the UK – but ambitious 2030 targets are set to be missed

Wales's post-pandemic employment gap with the rest of the UK is widening, putting pressure on living standards and Welsh Government finances.

Wales’s employment rate is falling further behind the rest of the UK, posing a challenge for the next Welsh Government

DWP’s improved methodology reduces official measures of income poverty, but we cannot yet conclude that new statistics are closer to ‘true’ poverty.

Wales leads on council tax revaluation – but has followed England on a range of ill-advised tax policy changes

Scotland has made its tax and benefit system more progressive than the rest of the UK’s, but unnecessarily complex and distortionary.

Scotland has made its tax and benefit system more progressive than the rest of the UK’s, but unnecessarily complex and distortionary.

An examination of council tax support schemes across England, Scotland and Wales, and the case for reform

What is council tax support? Who receives it and how much does it affect household incomes?

The government has not set an explicit numerical target for child poverty, beyond stating that it wants child poverty to fall. 

Freezes to local housing allowances reduce the disposable incomes of low-income private renters. LHA rates should be regularly and locally uprated.

At this online event, researchers from IFS and Nesta presented the latest trends on child poverty, and how the two-child limit fits in.

How has the two-child limit affected child poverty and other outcomes? What options for altering this policy does the government have?

Two-child limit has had no significant effect on proportion of third and subsequent children in England achieving a good level of development at age 5

Despite significantly reducing the benefit entitlements of larger families, the two-child limit had no effect on children’s school readiness

Over 20 years since they were introduced, tax credits have now been replaced by universal credit. How did they change the UK welfare system?