The tax and spending choices facing Andy Burnham podcast<p class="p1">Andy Burnham faces difficult choices over tax, borrowing and public spending. How much room will the new Prime Minister have to act?</p>16 July 2026
Will devolution solve the UK’s economic woes? podcast<p>Could devolution boost UK growth, or would it widen regional divides? We ask what shifting power from Westminster would really mean.</p>9 July 2026
The inequality of 'good jobs' podcast<p>What makes a good job? This episode explores pay, progression, flexibility and why access to better work is unequal.</p>25 June 2026
The state of the justice system event 14 September 2026 <p>This in-person event marks the launch of a major new report bringing together insights from the IFS Transforming Justice programme.</p>
What should we do about high electricity prices in the UK? event 22 September 2026 <p>Join us as IFS researchers explore why UK electricity prices are so high, what is driving costs and what can be done to bring them down.</p>
IFS Annual Lecture: Are Ideas Harder to Find, Overall? event 12 October 2026 <p><span data-teams="true">Nobel Laureate Philippe Aghion will deliver the 2026 IFS Annual Lecture.</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.
The state of the justice system Event 14 September 2026 at 14:00 London This in-person event marks the launch of a major new report bringing together insights from the IFS Transforming Justice programme.
What is driving increases in tribunal backlogs? Report We analyse trends in tribunal backlogs and the drivers behind them in the last 15 years. 7 July 2026
Intergenerational transmission of victimization Working Paper Using four decades of Danish administrative data, we estimate the intergenerational transmission of violent crime victimization. 12 June 2026
Changes in the provision of civil legal aid in England and Wales Report We analyse the evolution of civil legal aid cases and active providers in England and Wales from 2009 onwards. 5 June 2026
Fiscal policy and the justice system Journal article Journal of Social Welfare and Family Law It is axiomatic that public funding is a determinant of the quality of the justice system and that justice is a consequential area of public spending. 8 May 2026
What gang sweeps do – and how to make them work better Comment We summarise new research that examines the impact of police efforts in Barcelona to ‘sweep’ many suspected gang members at once. 10 April 2026
The economic consequences of gender-based violence Comment We summarise recent work on the economic impacts of domestic abuse, sexual assault and workplace harassment. 27 March 2026
Public service spending and performance in Wales Report Welsh health and education systems are underperforming – with cuts to spending on some public services likely post-election. 10 March 2026
Public service spending and performance in Scotland Report Scottish public services are struggling to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, and cuts to some services loom. 7 March 2026
The lifecycle of judicial bias Working Paper We trace the lifecycle of judicial bias in India’s criminal courts, leveraging the quasi-random assignment of judges to courts and cases. 11 February 2026
Effects of a ban on psychoactive substances on prisons in England and Wales Comment We summarise new research that examines how the ban on new psychoactive substances affected drug availability and violence in prisons. 10 February 2026
Will digital failure undermine trust in the justice system? Comment While digital tools may improve efficiency and accessibility, they also introduce risks that can erode public trust in legal institutions 5 September 2025
What's gone wrong in the Crown Courts? Podcast Delays in serious court cases are at record highs. We ask why the Crown Court backlog is growing—and if more money alone can solve it. 19 June 2025
Productivity in the Crown Court Report The Crown Court case backlog has doubled since 2019 and continues to grow. We explore whether falling productivity is part of the reason why. 6 June 2025
The short- and medium-term effects of Sure Start on children’s outcomes Report An evaluation of Sure Start’s impacts on education, health, absences, special educational needs, crime and social care, plus a cost–benefit analysis. 22 May 2025
Rethinking the Education Maintenance Allowance: Lessons from a long-term analysis Comment This evidence should prompt us to look beyond simple financial incentives for classroom attendance. 10 March 2025
Real-terms Ministry of Justice resource (day-to-day) spending, 2002–03 to 2025–26 Data Item Day-to-day justice spending in 2025–26 is set to be no higher than it was 23 years earlier, and around 16% lower in per-person terms. 11 February 2025
Change in justice day-to-day spending and overall departmental day-to-day spending, in real terms, since 2002–03 Data Item The Ministry of Justice budget is set to be no higher in real terms than the equivalent budget in 2002–03. 11 February 2025
Change in selected departmental day-to-day budgets since 2007–08 Data Item The Ministry of Justice day-to-day budget has fared particularly poorly since 2007–08 compared to other departments. 11 February 2025
Planned average annual real-terms growth in the day-to-day justice budget and overall day-to-day public service spending, by Spending Review Data Item At each Spending Review between 1998 and 2015, the justice budget faced either slower rates of growth or greater cuts than other departments. 11 February 2025
