Why is the government reforming health-related benefits? podcast<p>We discuss the government's welfare reforms aimed at helping sick and disabled people into work, and what the changes mean for health-related benefits</p>14 May 2025
What's the future of corporation tax? podcast<p><span style="color:black;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;">Corporation tax was introduced 60 years ago. Despite many predictions of its decline, it is now forecast to raise record amounts. </span></p>10 April 2025
Spring Statement 2025: IFS Zooms In podcast<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);box-sizing:border-box;color:rgb(13, 13, 13);counter-reset:list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0;cursor:text;font-family:Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;font-size:13px;font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;margin:0px;orphans:2;padding:0px;text-align:left;text-decoration-color:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:pre-wrap;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;"> What were the decisions and trade-offs made by Chancellor Reeves?</p>27 March 2025
IFS Annual Lecture: Trade Wars and the Future of Globalisation conference 20 May 2025 <p>Professor Meredith Crowley will deliver the 2025 <span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);color:rgb(37, 61, 64);display:inline !important;float:none;font-family:"DM Serif Text", serif;font-size:20px;font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;orphans:2;text-align:start;text-decoration-color:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;">IFS Annual Lecture. </span></p>
From Sure Start to Family Hubs: how can evidence best inform policymaking for joined up family support in the early years? conference 22 May 2025 <p>This event will explore the evidence and policy landscape around early years family support. It will also mark the launch of a new report from IFS.</p>
A look ahead to the 2025 Spending Review event 2 June 2025 <p><span data-teams="true">At this online event, researchers will present what the key choices will be at the Spending Review.</span></p>
Jobs landing page<p>At IFS, we recruit and train top-quality economists and professional support staff. We aim to foster a respectful and inclusive working environment.</p>20 July 2022
Centre for the Microeconomic Analysis of Public Policy The Research Centre at the heart of IFS is the CPP.
Measuring cost of living inequality during an inflation surge Working Paper We provide new evidence that inflation inequality surged during the 2021–2023 cost-of living crisis. 9 May 2025
Fiscal consolidation and voting: on the electoral costs of budgetary stability Journal article Fiscal Studies In this paper, we analyse the potential impact of policies aimed at fostering fiscal sustainability on citizens’ preferences. 6 May 2025
Average household consumption spending before and after housing costs, and mean weekly per-capita income, in different local authorities, 2018–2019 Data Item Londoners may have the highest average incomes, but their household spending once you account for housing costs is lower than other regions. 11 April 2025
Rank of local authorities by average household income compared to rank by average consumption after housing costs Data Item On average, London local authorities rank at the top of the income distribution, but are bottom of the net-of-housing consumption distribution. 11 April 2025
Which places have the highest standard of living? Comment Measuring living standards using average household spending gives a starkly different picture of regional inequalities than using average income. 11 April 2025
Small area consumption estimates for local authorities in Great Britain Working Paper In this paper, we estimate average equivalised consumption measures across local authority districts in Great Britain. 11 April 2025
Enlisting consumers in tax enforcement: a policy review Comment This paper examines the rise of consumer incentives in tax enforcement and the conditions under which they can enhance compliance and raise revenue. 31 March 2025
The welfare effects of price shocks and household relief packages: Evidence from an energy crisis Working Paper How should governments respond to rapid increases in the cost of living driven by shocks to the prices of staple goods? 31 January 2025
What would you do with £500? (...in your own words) Working Paper We use a new approach to better investigate differences in consumer behaviour in response to hypothetical, one-off gains and losses. 12 September 2024
Cheapflation and the rise of inflation inequality Working Paper Using household scanner data for fast-moving consumer goods, we show that this was accompanied by historically high rates of inflation inequality. 14 August 2024
Saving by buying ahead: stockpiling in response to lump-sum payments Journal article Fiscal Studies This study uses variations in state income tax refunds over time to estimate consumption responses to lump-sum payments. 2 February 2024
Adverse selection among early adopters and unraveling innovation Working Paper I provide an equilibrium analysis of 'selection markets,' where consumers vary in both their willingness to pay and the cost to the seller. 18 December 2023
Tax and public finances: the fundamentals Report This report highlights 10 key facts about UK tax and public finance policy that will underpin the choices faced by governments in coming decades. 23 August 2023
Targeting taxes on local externalities Working Paper We consider optimal anonymous consumption taxes in situations where the magnitude of an externality varies with individuals who cause it. 14 August 2023
Living standards, poverty and inequality in the UK: 2023 Report We investigate how living standards have changed for different groups in the UK, with a particular focus on the cost of living payments and housing. 13 July 2023
Poverty Report We investigate recent trends in poverty, and government policies aimed at alleviating it. 13 July 2023
What's wrong with inflation? Podcast Inflation continues to affect the UK economy - we speak to two experts on inflation who explain the bigger picture. 10 May 2023
Heterogeneity of consumption responses to income shocks in the presence of nonlinear persistence Working Paper We use enhanced consumption data in the Panel Survey of Income Dynamics from 2005–2017 to explore the transmission of income shocks to consumption. 14 April 2023
Transparency is key to maintaining trust in government. Let’s not cap it Comment Paul Johnson in the Times on the importance of transparency in government. 12 September 2022
In-kind transfers as insurance Working Paper Using calorie shortfalls as a marginal utility proxy, we find that in-kind transfers are preferred for low-income Indian households. 29 June 2022