Government finances and spending

Changes to English council funding over the next three years will help align funding with assessed needs – but challenges and issues remain.

Reform UK says it would cut income tax in Scotland if it wins the Scottish Parliament election in May.

This annual report compares spending across different stages of education in England and analyses the pressures and choices facing policymakers.

Why isn’t the NHS improving faster? We unpack waiting lists, winter pressures, productivity and reform plans - and ask whether real change is coming.

The Scottish Budget brings pre-election sweeteners and post-election cuts to many services 

Read all our analysis of the Scottish Budget for 2026–27.

David Phillips and Kate Ogden's presentation at the Local Government Finance Conference 2026

How much protection does the benefit system afford the newly unemployed? We use UK bank account data to track financial impacts of job loss.

What are IFS experts looking out for in 2026? We discuss rising unemployment, benefit reforms, and whether new technologies might improve the outlook.

The government has confirmed a 16% cash increase in overall council funding over 3 years – and a big redistribution between areas.

An expert report for the UK Covid-19 Inquiry on devolved and local government funding during the pandemic

How will changes announced at Budget 2025 affect SEND spending in future? How can the government deal with historic deficits accumulated by councils?

From tax rises to new spending pressures, we break down the major decisions in a packed Autumn Budget and what they mean for the UK.

IFS researchers provide a response to the new economic forecast and major policy announcements contained in the 2025 Budget.

IFS Director Helen Miller responds to the Chancellor's Autumn Budget. 

New figures from the ONS show that borrowing is overshooting the official forecast for the first seven months of the year by £9.9 billion. 

We assess the reasonableness of the approaches proposed by MHCLG, making recommendations for checks and potential improvements.