Local government finance

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The Autumn Statement explained
podcast
We analyse the Chancellor's 2023 Autumn Statement.
24 November 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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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
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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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Showing 1 – 20 of 232 results

What does the Autumn Statement mean for local government and public service spending?

Comment

Kate Ogden explains the impact of the Autumn Statement on public services, council funding and devolution deals.

24 November 2023

Revaluation and reform of Welsh council tax should proceed without delay

Comment

We analyse the impact of the possible approaches to council tax reform set out in the Welsh Government’s consultation on ‘A fairer council tax’.

14 November 2023

Assessing the Welsh Government’s consultation on reforms to council tax

Report

We analyse the impact of the possible approaches to council tax reform set out in the Welsh Government’s consultation on ‘A fairer council tax’.

14 November 2023

The outlook for government and council funding

Presentation

This presentation to Scottish voluntary organisations looks at the funding outlook and issues facing the Scottish Government and councils.

5 October 2023

How much was spent on public services in your area in 2022-23?

Calculator

Explore how much funding your area receives for key public services, and whether this funding is in line with patterns of needs

15 August 2023

How much public spending does each area receive? Local authority level estimates of health, police, school and local government spending

Report

How much funding does each area of England receive for key public services, and is this funding allocated in line with patterns of needs?

15 August 2023

A forward look on finance

Presentation

This LGA 2023 Annual Conference presentation sets out the broad economic and fiscal context and the funding and policy outlook for local government.

5 July 2023

Need, funding and geographic inequalities

Presentation

This LGA 2023 Annual Conference presentation discusses some key issues with how public service spending is allocated across England.

5 July 2023

Government spending has long been targeted at the poorest in our society

Comment

Paul Johnson writes for The Times on how taking account of public service spending is critical to assessing the government's redistribution of wealth.

5 June 2023

Scottish Budget 2023–24: further analysis

Report

The aim of this report is to look at some of the key implications of the Scottish Budget for the coming year, and for the longer term.

17 February 2023

The economic and fiscal outlook: modelling the impact on local government

Presentation

Slides from David Phillips and Kate Ogden's presentation at the 2023 LGA Annual Local Government Finance Conference.

11 January 2023

English councils’ core spending power is set to grow by up to 11% in real-terms over the next two years

Comment

The local government finance policy statement confirms a boost to councils’ funding over the next two years, targeted at social care and poorer areas.

16 December 2022

The poor are failed most by our inability to reform local services

Comment

"Our system of funding for local services is not fit for purpose." Paul Johnson in The Times on the urgent need for local services funding reform.

24 October 2022

Does funding follow need? An analysis of the geographic distribution of public spending in England

Report

In the financial year before COVID-19, government spending that can be attributed to England amounted to £541 billion or £9,650 per person.

20 October 2022

A National Care Service will mean big changes and challenges for Scottish council funding

Comment

Plans for a Scottish ‘National Care Service’ would centralise over £4 billion of spending and may not lead to more consistent services.

11 August 2022

The IFS-CIPFA Local Government Finance Model: What? How? Why?

Workshop 19 July 2022 at 12:00

At this webinar, IFS researchers will introduce the new IFS-CIPFA Local Government Finance Model. Following the presentation and demonstration there will be an opportunity for you to ask your questions about the model, its assumptions, its uses and its limitations.

UK Shared Prosperity Fund allocations for Welsh councils are flawed, costing some areas millions

Comment

A failure to properly account for population in Welsh councils’ Shared Prosperity Fund allocations is costing larger councils millions of pounds.

18 July 2022