The £600 billion problem awaiting the next governmentpodcastWe speak to David Gauke and Giles Wilkes, two experts who have been at the heart of the spending review process.25 April 2024
Should we worry about government debt?podcastDavid Miles joins us to discuss high government debt and its impact on the economy. 11 April 2024
Spring Budget 2024: What you need to knowpodcastIFS reaction to the Chancellor's Spring Budget.7 March 2024
The NHS waiting list: when will it come down?podcastWe discuss all things waiting list - What is it? How big is it? Is there a credible plan to get it back down?29 February 2024
Are councils in crisis?podcastWhy are local councils facing funding pressures? What can government do to help them?14 February 2024
How to fix our irrational income tax systempodcastHow are income taxes structured, how has this changed, where are there problems with the system and what should the next government be looking to fix?25 January 2024
The economic stories that will shape 2024podcastAs we enter the new year, we take a look ahead at what to expect in 2024.5 January 2024
The future of the state pensionpodcastWe discuss the current challenges facing the state pension - and options for reform. 21 December 2023
Why we need to reform inheritance taxpodcastWe discuss the issues with inheritance tax and how to reform it.6 December 2023
The Autumn Statement explainedpodcastWe analyse the Chancellor's 2023 Autumn Statement.24 November 2023
Cake or biscuit? The UK's byzantine VAT system explainedpodcastThis week, we dive into the oddities of the VAT system.16 November 2023
The economic picture facing the ChancellorpodcastWe look at the underlying economic situation facing the Chancellor following the publication of our IFS Green Budget 2023 report.18 October 2023
An honest conversation about net zeropodcastWe discuss the impact of the Prime Minister's announcement on net zero.11 October 2023
The materials that shape our economypodcastIn this episode, we speak with Ed Conway, Economics Editor at Sky News and author of a new book Material World: The Making of Civilisation.13 September 2023
Big firm, little firm: are differences between companies driving inequality and holding back growth?podcastDebates about inequality often focus on inequalities between people. But what about inequalities between firms?30 August 2023
Still a man’s world? Gender inequalities, parenthood and the workplacepodcastWe ask why the gender pay gap opens up, whether things have improved in recent years, and talk about one key factor affecting women’s pay - kids.23 August 2023
Levelling Up: Is inequality between places Britain’s biggest problem?podcastSince 2019, 'levelling up' has been at the forefront of the political agenda - but is inequality between places really Britain’s biggest problem?16 August 2023
When and why should we care about inequality?podcastWhy should we care about inequality? What has happened to inequality over recent decades? And can government do anything about it? 9 August 2023
The economics of immigrationpodcastRecently, the government announced record net migration figures. Paul Johnson speaks to Madeleine Sumption, a political scientist, to get the facts.8 June 2023
Work from home: what does the future look like?podcastIn this episode, Paul speaks to Professor Nick Bloom, a Professor at Stanford University, former IFS-er and leading expert on working from home.24 May 2023
What's wrong with inflation?podcastInflation continues to affect the UK economy - we speak to two experts on inflation who explain the bigger picture.10 May 2023
Why politicians need to think long-term about pensionspodcastWe talk through the challenges facing the UK pensions system and future generations of pensioners.26 April 2023
The stealth tax risepodcastWe look at the impact that freezing tax thresholds has on the tax people pay.6 April 2023
The Spring Budget explainedpodcastWe provide our analysis on the Chancellor's Spring Budget.16 March 2023
Are high energy prices here to stay?podcastAs we leave winter and enter spring, we ask whether high energy prices are here to stay8 March 2023
How to tax the rich?podcastWe talk non-doms, offshore trusts, capital gains and wealth taxes in a quest to answer the question: how should we tax the wealthy?24 February 2023
The state of the NHSpodcastIn this episode, we take a look at the state of the NHS across a range of areas.8 February 2023
Pandemics, recessions and mental health: young people and jobs in 2023podcastWe look at the future for young people in the jobs market and how they were affected by the pandemic.25 January 2023
Strikes, Budgets, Brexit and elections: a look ahead to 2023podcastThe IFS podcast returns with a look at what to expect in 2023.11 January 2023
Are we in a new era of austerity?podcastThis week, we speak with Gemma Tetlow, Chief Economist at the Institute for Government, and Carl Emmerson, Deputy Director at IFS.24 November 2022
What we owe each other: a new social contractpodcastThis week, we're bringing you the IFS Annual Lecture, by Baroness Minouche Shafik.16 November 2022
Why are older workers leaving the workforce?podcastWe look at the latest research on older workers and their participation in the labour market.2 November 2022
Benefits, inflation and redistributionpodcastWhat role does the benefit system play in redistribution - and how will high inflation impact the system?6 October 2022
Will public sector workers get a pay rise?podcastWith inflation squeezed living standards, will the government have to give public sector workers a pay rise?21 September 2022
The challenges facing the new Prime MinisterpodcastPaul speaks to Ben Zaranko and Xiaowei Xu to assess the challenges facing the new Prime Minister.6 September 2022
The future of public sector pensionspodcastWe sit down with one of the architects behind the current public pensions system and discuss whether it is sustainable or needs further reform.13 July 2022
How can we fix the childcare system?podcastWith headlines about underfunding and staff shortages dominating the airwaves, we explore how to fix the childcare system and how to fund it.16 June 2022
How should the government tax electric cars?podcastAs more people move away from fossil fuel vehicles, the government stands to lose billions of pounds in tax revenue - what should it do about this?19 May 2022
The future of student loanspodcastIn this episode, we look at the government's student loan reforms and think about how students, taxpayers and universities will be affected.4 May 2022
How should we tax multinational corporations?podcastIn this episode, we explore corporate taxation and get a sense of how successful international efforts to tax multinationals are.6 April 2022
Spring Statement: inflation, living standards and uncertaintypodcastWe look at the Chancellor's Spring Statement and discuss how effective it is, and what the long-term implications are.25 March 2022
Is the UK spending enough on defence?podcastHow much does the UK spend on defence? How has this changed over time? And what will Russia's invasion mean for UK defence spending?9 March 2022
Everything you need to know about National InsurancepodcastWhat are National Insurance contributions? What will the extra tax revenue raised from April be used for? And are there better ways of raising tax?23 February 2022
Should people be saving more for retirement?podcastSaving for retirement is one of the most impactful financial decisions that people make. We hear about the latest research on this topic.10 February 2022
What should the government do about rising energy prices?podcastWith energy prices going up, we ask what the government can do to bring down prices.26 January 2022
What you should be paying attention to in 2022podcastAs 2022 starts, we speak to four IFS experts and find out what we should be looking out for this year.12 January 2022
The common good after COVIDpodcastThis week, we bring you this year's IFS annual lecture delivered by Professor Jean Tirole, Honorary Chairman of the Toulouse School of Economics.17 November 2021
Can carbon taxes get us to net zero?podcastWhat policies should governments worldwide introduce to combat climate change? How should carbon taxes be designed to be cost-efficient and fair?3 November 2021
How should the government influence what we eat?podcastWhat role should the government play in influencing what we eat? And how can taxes and policy be designed to get us to eat more healthily?22 October 2021
SPECIAL: What should the Chancellor consider in his autumn budget?podcastWe look at the Chancellor's options for securing a lasting recovery and deliver on the government’s other objectives and priorities.13 October 2021
How to fix the education systempodcastIn this episode, we dig into the issues facing schools and their students and see what we can do to fix the education system.22 September 2021
Social care: what happens now?podcastIn this episode we dig into the new announcement on social care funding, what it means, whether it will work and how it will affect people's care. 15 September 2021
How to reform – and fund – social care?podcastThis week we ask how should we think about reforming social care, how should we pay for it, and what can we learn from other countries?15 July 2021
Behind the scenes at HM TreasurypodcastHow does decision-making work at the Treasury? What kinds of evidence do officials use? We speak to two experts to find out.30 June 2021
Location, location, location: how to reform council tax?podcastIn this episode, we dissect council tax and work out how it could be reformed.16 June 2021
Can the NHS recover from COVID?podcastIn this episode we ask what challenges will the NHS face in the future, and what can the government do to help?2 June 2021
Are too many people going to university?podcastIn 2019, university attendance tipped over the 50% threshold. In this week's episode, we look at whether too many people are going to university.19 May 2021
Has COVID transformed the labour market?podcastAs economic life begins to recover, we ask what changes COVID brought to the labour market, and what jobs could look like in future.5 May 2021
Are business rates killing the high street?podcastIn this episode, we ask what effect business rates have on our high streets and whether they should be reformed.28 April 2021
The productivity problempodcastIn this episode, we ask why is a high-tech, developed economy like the UK struggling to be more productive?24 March 2021
Universal Credit: The future of benefits?podcastIn this episode we look at the thinking behind Universal Credit, and ask whether it has been successful.10 March 2021
Budget 2021: the road to recovery?podcastIn this episode, we explore what the Chancellor should be thinking about as he prepares his first Budget since the UK entered a series of lockdowns.24 February 2021
Catching up on lost learningpodcastWhat are the effects of lost learning during Covid? How is it impacting students and teachers? What can policymakers do to make up for lost learning?10 February 2021
The economics of net zeropodcastThis week we discuss the UK's commitment to achieving net zero by 2050, and the significant changes that will be required.27 January 2021
The state of inequality with Sir Angus DeatonpodcastIn our first episode of 2021 we speak with Nobel Laureate Sir Angus Deaton about inequality, poverty and welfare.13 January 2021
Making sense of 2020 with Stephanie Flanders and Paul JohnsonpodcastIn this special episode, Paul Johnson and Stephanie Flanders see what we can learn from 2020 going into the New Year.16 December 2020
Has globalisation deepened inequality?podcastThe era of globalisation has coincided with a period of rising inequality - what role has globalisation played in deepening inequality?15 December 2020
Prices in a crisispodcastWhat do economists mean by inflation, how do they measure it, and is inflation the best way of understanding the changes in the price of goods?17 November 2020
What's happened to benefits through the pandemic?podcastThis episode looks at how COVID-19 has impacted the UK’s welfare system and what might happen to benefits in future.4 November 2020
What's happening with government debt?podcastThis week we look at the level of government debt in the COVID era and consider the long-term implications.21 October 2020
Counting the cost of COVID-19podcastIn this episode we look at how big government borrowing could get as a result of Covid-19 and what the long-term impacts will be.15 October 2020
How is coronavirus affecting older workers?podcastIn this episode we discuss recent research on how the pandemic is impacting older workers.7 October 2020
University Challenge: COVID-19 and higher educationpodcastIn this episode, we consider some of the complex questions facing the higher education sector in the wake of the COVID pandemic.30 September 2020
Moving on up: the state of social mobilitypodcastA socially mobile country provides equal opportunities for everyone, across big cities and small towns.23 September 2020
Taxing times ahead? When and how to raise taxespodcastThis week we discuss how the Treasury might raise revenues in the future and how our current tax system can be reformed.16 September 2020
Childcare during the pandemicpodcastThe closures of childcare providers to most families during the COVID-19 crisis have underlined the importance of access to childcare.9 September 2020
What to expect when schools reopen?podcastWhile most things changed in 2020, the end of the summer once again saw students preparing to go back to school. 26 August 2020
A Level playing field? Exam results during the pandemicpodcastRecently, students got their A Level results, despite having never sat an exam. How did the government decide what grades to give students?17 August 2020
Catching up or falling behind? Geographical inequalities in the UKpodcastEven prior to the crisis, there was a sense that the UK is not only a highly geographically unequal country, but is also becoming increasingly so.5 August 2020
Keeping it in the family: inheritances and inequalitypodcastRecent decades have seen rising wealth-to-income ratios. In England, increases in wealth have been concentrated among older generations.29 July 2020
