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Cute baby
Previous research published by the IFS has shown that children born at the start of the academic year achieve better exam results, on average, than children born at the end of the academic year. New research, funded by the Nuffield Foundation, provides fresh evidence on the extent to which these differences continue to affect individuals throughout their lives. It also provides new insight into what explains these differences, which is crucial in order to understand the most appropriate policy response.
Observations: reflections on current events
08 May 2013
Observations
Cutting the deficit: three years down, five to go?
The UK is in the fourth year of a planned eight-year fiscal tightening. Following further announcements made in Budget 2013, this fiscal consolidation is now forecast to total £143 billion by 2017–18. The UK is intending the fourth largest fiscal consolidation among the 29 advanced economies for which comparable data are available. By the end of this financial year, half of the total consolidation is expected to have been implemented. However, within this tax increases and cuts to investment spending have been relatively front-loaded, while cuts to welfare spending and other non-investment spending have been relatively back-loaded.
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Featured publications and research
March 2013
Article
Incentives, shocks or signals: labour supply effects of increasing the female state pension age in the UK
This paper uses data from the first two years after the change to the female state pension age to estimate the impact of increasing the state pension age from 60 to 61 on the employment of women and their partners.
March 2013
Article
The rapidly changing state
On current forecasts, public spending will take the same proportion of national income in 2017–18 as it did in 2003–04. But it will be being spent on quite different things.
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Latest News
Andrew Chesher, Director of cemmap, to deliver 'Walras Bowley Lecture'
13 May 2013
Richard Disney presents at the Annual Cumberland Lodge Police Conference
21 April 2013
More IFS news
Events
Competition for care: understanding the changing NHS market and the role of independent care providers
20 May 13
Conference
A workshop on evaluating the impact of youth programmes
03 Jun 13
Workshop
IFS Briefing on the Spending Round 2015-16
27 Jun 13
Conference
More events
Impact on Society
Developing the World Bank's capacity for tax microsimulation
IFS researchers and the World Bank plan to develop capacity and tools in developing countries for the comprehensive analysis of tax reforms
Reforming the UK tax and benefit system
Proposals by IFS researchers to simplify the benefit system and strengthen the incentives for low-skilled adults to work have attracted the attention of Iain Duncan Smith, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions.
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