Institute for Fiscal Studies

Initial response to Reform UK’s Scottish manifesto

David Phillips, head of devolved and local government finance at the IFS, said: ‘Plans to significantly cut Scottish income ...
Institute for Fiscal Studies

Are pensioners richer than everyone else?

Are pensioners now better off than working-age people? We examine the data on income, wealth, housing and the future of retirement.
Institute for Fiscal Studies

English hospitals are outperforming those in Scotland and Wales

English hospital services are in a relatively poor state - yet still look substantially better on many measures than those in ...
Institute for Fiscal Studies

New disability benefit awards continue to fall but remain well above pre-pandemic levels

Today’s new personal independence payment statistics show the number of new awards fell in 2025, but remains above ...
Institute for Fiscal Studies

Assessing the government’s youth employment package

This comment analyses the government’s new youth employment package, which expands youth wage subsidies and introduces apprenticeship reforms.
Institute for Fiscal StudiesOpinion

Challenges for the private pension system in the UK and policy proposals to address them

We identify challenges and develop policy proposals for the UK private pension system, which is increasingly reliant on ...
ifs.org.uk

Scotland’s devolved tax and benefit system is more progressive – but unnecessarily complex and distortionary

Building on reforms in the 2016–21 parliament, the Scottish Government has continued to make its devolved tax and benefit system more progressive over the last five years. Income tax has been ...