BritainThinks and PriceWaterhouseCoopers brought together a 25-strong “Citizens Jury” – intended to be a representative selection from the population as a whole – who were tasked with suggesting some principles that the Government ought to follow when making cuts to public services and welfare spending during the 2010 Spending Review. Mike Brewer, a Programme Director at the Institute for Fiscal Studies, was asked to be the Jury’s expert on welfare spending. Mike gave an overview of the purpose of welfare benefits and tax credits, where the money went, and what sort of groups were the main beneficiaries. He also suggested that the Jury consider issues such as the right balance between means-tested and universal benefits, how best to design a benefit system for pensioners, and whether benefits should depend on past contributions or current financial circumstances.