The ‘triple lock’ makes the state pension too expensive and unpredictable and ministers should replace it with a new target level and wider overhaul of the pensions system, a study has recommended.
The government’s planned benefits system overhaul could cut welfare spending by £11bn a year when fully implemented – but the health-related benefits bill will still far exceed pre-pandemic levels,...
The government will face difficult trade-offs if it attempts to protect schools and colleges from pending education cuts, with some areas being “squeezed out entirely”, a leading think-tank has...
The financial benefits generated by the last Labour government’s Sure Start centres were more than double the amount of the programme’s costs, according to a leading think-tank.
The latest borrowing figures show the “clear risk” run by the government in adhering to its fiscal rules despite the uncertainty of official forecasts, analysts have warned.
The Scottish Government’s increased surcharge on second and rental home purchases is “inconsistent with any sensible tax policy”, according to a leading think-tank.
Soaring costs for special needs provision are set to wipe out any potential for school savings on the back of declining pupil numbers, according to a report.
Teenagers whose youth clubs closed amid austerity went on to perform less well at school and were more likely to become involved in criminal activity, new research has suggested.
Tax increases of up to £25bn will be needed in the Budget if spending on local government, police and prisons is to rise in line with national income, according to research from the Institute for...
Scrapping the two-child limit would be a quick and cost-effective fix for child poverty – but the benefit cap would wipe out the gains for the poorest families, research has revealed.
Public sector employers will need to divert money from pensions into pay if they are to stem a recruitment and retention crisis across the sector, a leading think-tank has said.
Over 300,000 people have been pushed into poverty by rising mortgage interest rates, according to a new report warning policymakers could be misled by poverty statistics which mask the true scale of...
Labour’s promise of beefed-up employment rights should not be seen as a “free lunch” for workers, and could push down wages and lead to job losses among lower-paid employees, the Institute for Fiscal...
Progress towards eradicating regional inequalities has been “glacial”, driven by patchy policy initiatives and the absence of stable long-term funding, according to a leading think-tank.
As the main political parties set out their policy stalls in hastily written manifestos, the focus will be less on the headline announcements than what is left unsaid.
Neither the Conservatives nor Labour are serious about reducing the level of national debt, the Institute of Fiscal Studies has said, accusing both parties of avoiding the harsh reality of spending...
