Follow us
Publications Commentary Research People Events News Resources and Videos About IFS
Home News

News

IFS issues frequent press releases and observations and features regularly in online, broadcast and printed media. Staff also write and contribute to news articles.

IFS research staff are happy to speak to the press about the findings of our work. If you are a member of the press and have an enquiry or would like to receive new press releases by email, please contact the Head of public relations, Bonnie Brimstone (020 7291 4818).

“Their independence is beyond doubt as all the main political parties recognise their expertise." Evan Davis, BBC

Latest news

Press release
Universal credit to hit 1.9 million by over £1,000 per year – though for many these losses are temporary
Mike Brewer, Robert Joyce, Tom Waters and Joseph Woods
For the first time, IFS researchers look at the effects of universal credit on people’s incomes over the longer run as well as the short run.
Press release
High earners increasingly hit by lack of indexation and absurd pension rules
Stuart Adam and Paul Johnson
By freezing the thresholds at which child benefit is withdrawn, the personal allowance is withdrawn and the top rate of income tax applies, recent governments have, rather stealthily, increased the tax rates on high earners and the number of people facing high marginal rates of tax.
Observation
The gender pay gap: women work for lower-paying firms than men
Robert Joyce and Xiaowei Xu
Women work for less productive, lower-paying firms than men, our new analysis suggests - which may contribute to the gender pay gap. This difference between the kinds of firms that men and women work for opens up around the time women have children, when many switch to part-time work or start ...

Latest press releases and announcements

Press release
Universal credit to hit 1.9 million by over £1,000 per year – though for many these losses are temporary
Mike Brewer, Robert Joyce, Tom Waters and Joseph Woods
For the first time, IFS researchers look at the effects of universal credit on people’s incomes over the longer run as well as the short run.
News
IFS Research Director Rachel Griffith confirmed as the new President of the Royal Economic Society

The Royal Economic Society has appointed IFS Research Director Professor Rachel Griffith as its new President for 2019/20. Rachel is Professor of Economics at the University of Manchester, Research Director of the IFS and Co-Director of the Centre for the Microeconomic Analysis of Public Policy (CPP).

She is the Society’s first female President in over 35 years and becomes only the second woman to hold the post in the Society’s 129-year history.The Society also named Professor Carol Propper (Imperial College London) as President-Elect for 2019/20. They will join the ranks of other ...

News
IFS co-director Imran Rasul awarded prestigious Yrjö Jahnsson Award

IFS researcher and co-director of the ESRC Centre for Public Policy (CPP) at IFS, Imran Rasul, has been awarded the prestigious Yrjö Jahnsson prize for his work on the role of social relationships in economics. Imran, who is also a professor at University College London, receives the 2019 award jointly with Oriana Bandiera (London School of Economics).

The award was previously given to Richard Blundell, now director of CPP, in 1995. This was for his work in microeconometrics and the analysis of labour supply, welfare reform and consumer behaviour. The award is selected by the European ...

Press release
High earners increasingly hit by lack of indexation and absurd pension rules
Stuart Adam and Paul Johnson
By freezing the thresholds at which child benefit is withdrawn, the personal allowance is withdrawn and the top rate of income tax applies, recent governments have, rather stealthily, increased the tax rates on high earners and the number of people facing high marginal rates of tax.
News
Paul Johnson gives evidence on the Spring Statement and Spending Review to MPs

Paul Johnson has given evidence to the Commons Treasury Committee during their Spring Statement session on Wednesday 3 April 2019.

MPs asked how much 'fiscal headroom' the Chancellor might have for increasing spending given the improvements to borrowing forecasts at the Spring Statement. They asked whether the Chancellor was still aiming for budget balance, and how to improve sharing of data and analysis around fiscal events.

Watch the session on Parliament Live. Catch up on all of our Spring Statement 2019 analysis.

...
Press release
Is a local income tax the best way to sustainability for local government?
Neil Amin Smith, Tom Harris and David Phillips
Years of cuts and rising demands for services like social care mean that council funding in England looks increasingly unsustainable. In this context, the idea of devolving additional tax revenues and powers has been gaining traction among English councils, as they seek both more funding and ...
Press release
Creative arts degrees cost taxpayers 30% more than engineering degrees
Chris Belfield, Jack Britton, Neil Shephard and Laura van der Erve
The current system of funding undergraduate education means that costs to government are highest for subjects where graduates earn the least, and lowest for subjects where they earn the most. This is an unintended consequence of the English loan-based system, which costs taxpayers about £9 billion ...
Press release
New proposals for council funding formula would hit deprived areas
Neil Amin Smith, Tom Harris and David Phillips
The statistical analysis the government cites to justify not including deprivation in the funding formula for many key services does not stand up to full scrutiny.