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theifs.bsky.social
The Institute for Fiscal Studies
@theifs.bsky.social
Official account for Britain’s leading independent economic research institute. https://ifs.org.uk/
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We're pleased to share that our report on the effects of Sure Start on children’s outcomes has won the 'Impact of Analysis' Award in this year's ONS Research Excellence Awards.

🏆 Find out more: ifs.org.uk/news/ifs-sur...
IFS Sure Start research wins ONS Research Excellence Award 2025 | Institute for Fiscal Studies
We are pleased to announce that our research on the effects of Sure Start on children’s outcomes has been awarded ONS' Impact of Analysis Award.
ifs.org.uk
Reposted by The Institute for Fiscal Studies
@theifs.bsky.social is looking for a new Associate Director to lead its healthcare programme.

If you are an outstanding economist with research interests in any part of health economics, please apply! The IFS is a fantastic place to do excellent, impactful research with exceptional colleagues.
December 9, 2025 at 9:37 AM
Reposted by The Institute for Fiscal Studies
NHS hospitals in England are getting more productive, according to official data. But the waiting list for pre-planned treatment is barely falling.

Why? It turns out, the NHS is now doing more stuff to the average patient before they leave the waiting list. See @maxwarner.bsky.social's thread 👇
NEW: Hospital productivity growth is beating the government’s targets. So why hasn't the NHS made more progress on cutting elective waiting times?

In a new @theifs.bsky.social comment, we examine what’s driving the divergence between two of the government’s biggest NHS priorities.
1/11
NEW: Strong productivity growth and increasing funding has meant English hospitals have been delivering much more elective (pre-planned) care.

So why isn't the waiting list going down more quickly?

🧵 @maxwarner.bsky.social and Olly Harvey-Rich examine what's going on:
December 9, 2025 at 8:58 AM
Reposted by The Institute for Fiscal Studies
NEW: Hospital productivity growth is beating the government’s targets. So why hasn't the NHS made more progress on cutting elective waiting times?

In a new @theifs.bsky.social comment, we examine what’s driving the divergence between two of the government’s biggest NHS priorities.
1/11
NEW: Strong productivity growth and increasing funding has meant English hospitals have been delivering much more elective (pre-planned) care.

So why isn't the waiting list going down more quickly?

🧵 @maxwarner.bsky.social and Olly Harvey-Rich examine what's going on:
December 9, 2025 at 8:41 AM
NEW: Strong productivity growth and increasing funding has meant English hospitals have been delivering much more elective (pre-planned) care.

So why isn't the waiting list going down more quickly?

🧵 @maxwarner.bsky.social and Olly Harvey-Rich examine what's going on:
December 9, 2025 at 8:15 AM
Reposted by The Institute for Fiscal Studies
Would you like to lead our @theifs.bsky.social work on healthcare? We are looking to recruit an outstanding economist to become an Associate Director and lead a programme of economic research on health and/or healthcare. Job advert here: app.beapplied.com/apply/jfzr0z...
Associate Director (Health/Healthcare)
Background to the role   The Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) is Europe’s leading centre for research on the microeconomics of public policy. It is a politically independent registered educational c...
app.beapplied.com
December 8, 2025 at 9:10 AM
Know any economics students considering a career in economics research?

We're offering six-to-eight week placements at IFS in Summer 2026 as part of our Summer Student scheme.

📊 Apply here by 11pm, Friday 16 Jan 2026: app.beapplied.com/apply/xkr9pu...
December 7, 2025 at 1:15 PM
📈 #IFSSatStat: The number of children in the UK is expected to decline by about 7% or 800,000 between 2025 and 2035.

These declines are expected to be fastest in Scotland (8%), Wales (10%) and Northern Ireland (15%).
December 6, 2025 at 9:00 AM
NEW PODCAST: Tax changes in the Budget

Our new IFS Zooms In episode sees @helenmiller.bsky.social @benzaranko.bsky.social and Stuart Adam examine the tax changes buried in the detail of last week's Budget, from electric vehicles to tourist tax.

🎧 Listen here: ifs.org.uk/articles/tax...
December 5, 2025 at 2:17 PM
NEW: The number of children in the UK is expected to decline by about 7% or 800,000 between 2025 and 2035.

This leaves policymakers with a choice: deliver savings or increase school funding per pupil?

🧵 @lukesibieta.bsky.social's report, funded by @nuffieldfoundation.org, explains:
December 5, 2025 at 8:15 AM
Reposted by The Institute for Fiscal Studies
Massive congrats to @ckfarquharson.bsky.social and her @theifs.bsky.social colleagues.

They have put so much time and thought into their evaluation of sure start and it’s multiple effects over time.

The quality and impact of their work reflects this. 👏
Absolutely delighted our research has won the ONS' Research Excellence prize for impact!

I always say to people that the ideal @theifs.bsky.social work is rigorous enough to publish in top journals, and relevant enough to be on the front page. I think we've ticked that box here!
We're pleased to share that our report on the effects of Sure Start on children’s outcomes has won the 'Impact of Analysis' Award in this year's ONS Research Excellence Awards.

🏆 Find out more: ifs.org.uk/news/ifs-sur...
December 4, 2025 at 6:01 PM
Reposted by The Institute for Fiscal Studies
Absolutely delighted our research has won the ONS' Research Excellence prize for impact!

I always say to people that the ideal @theifs.bsky.social work is rigorous enough to publish in top journals, and relevant enough to be on the front page. I think we've ticked that box here!
December 4, 2025 at 5:33 PM
IFS Senior Research Economist @xiaoweixu.bsky.social speaks to @davidsonofaaron.bsky.social about intergenerational inequalities on today's episode of BBC Radio 4's Briefing Room.

🎧 Listen to the episode here: www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...
BBC Radio 4 - The Briefing Room, Are the old robbing the young?
Are we seeing inter-generational economic injustice?
www.bbc.co.uk
December 4, 2025 at 4:30 PM
We're pleased to share that our report on the effects of Sure Start on children’s outcomes has won the 'Impact of Analysis' Award in this year's ONS Research Excellence Awards.

🏆 Find out more: ifs.org.uk/news/ifs-sur...
IFS Sure Start research wins ONS Research Excellence Award 2025 | Institute for Fiscal Studies
We are pleased to announce that our research on the effects of Sure Start on children’s outcomes has been awarded ONS' Impact of Analysis Award.
ifs.org.uk
December 4, 2025 at 4:07 PM
Reposted by The Institute for Fiscal Studies
The OBR has done us all a service by producing new forecasts of the challenge on SEND.

What's still missing is the plan for how to tackle it - reform? changes to education spending? budget top-ups?

Risks too to councils' finances - and their incentives.

Big questions remain!
NEW: The hardest questions for SEND are still to be answered.

@ckfarquharson.bsky.social, Kate Ogden, David Phillips, @lukesibieta.bsky.social and Darcey Snape’s briefing explains how the #Budget2025 will affect SEND spending and the options for councils' SEND-related deficits ⬇️
December 2, 2025 at 4:24 PM
Reposted by The Institute for Fiscal Studies
🧵 UPDATED WP OUT 🧵What happens when you pay disadvantaged teenagers to stay in school? We evaluated England's Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA), which paid low-income 16-19 year olds up to £1,400/year to remain in education. @theifs.bsky.social @nickridpath.bsky.social
🆕 RFBerlin Discussion Paper!
Jack Britton, Nick Ridpath,
@carmenvillaecon.bsky.social, & Ben Waltmann evaluate programs that pay UK disadvantaged teenagers to stay in school, providing evidence of low cost-effectiveness.
🔗 www.rfberlin.com/wp-content/u...
December 3, 2025 at 4:05 PM
NEW: The hardest questions for SEND are still to be answered.

@ckfarquharson.bsky.social, Kate Ogden, David Phillips, @lukesibieta.bsky.social and Darcey Snape’s briefing explains how the #Budget2025 will affect SEND spending and the options for councils' SEND-related deficits ⬇️
December 2, 2025 at 10:56 AM
LIVE NOW: Our event on cognitive decline and financial outcomes in retirement starts now, presenting our new analysis and with a response from Sir Steve Webb.

🖥️ Watch live here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1Qk...
❓ Ask questions here: app.sli.do/event/iy84Uv...
Cognitive decline and financial outcomes in retirement
Ask questions to the panel on Slido, here: https://app.sli.do/event/iy84Uv4AUUdKz1qwYoLPGB As the UK population ages, and many older people continue to hold their wealth in defined contribution…
www.youtube.com
December 2, 2025 at 9:59 AM
NEW: Older people who experience cognitive decline have around £30,000 lower financial wealth than those who do not around eight to ten years after first recording low cognitive function.

Read @heidikarj.bsky.social's new report, funded by the IFS Retirement Saving Consortium ⬇️
December 2, 2025 at 8:15 AM
'The OBR has made Rachel Reeves very lucky in saying we think it [higher tax receipts] are going to come to the rescue in coming years'

@helenmiller.bsky.social explains how tax revenues made Rachel Reeves' job easier this Budget in our podcast.

🎧 Listen here: ifs.org.uk/articles/aut...
November 30, 2025 at 10:01 AM
'I don't think we can afford to have budgets that look like this in some sense. The growth problem is so bad.'

@helenmiller.bsky.social, @benzaranko.bsky.social & @ckfarquharson.bsky.social discuss the Budget and its implications for growth in our podcast.

🎧 Listen here: ifs.org.uk/articles/aut...
November 29, 2025 at 11:01 AM
📊 #IFSSatStat: Next year households will see income gains from Budget reforms including a fuel duty cut relative to existing plans and removing the two-child limit.

The hit from big tax rises is set to kick in later, particularly for middle and higher-income households.
November 29, 2025 at 9:15 AM
'Real household disposable income is going to grow about 0.4% annually this parliament. That is the second worst growth in living standards we've had since the late 1970s.'

@ckfarquharson.bsky.social discusses living standards in our #Budget2025 podcast.

🎧 Listen here: ifs.org.uk/articles/aut...
November 28, 2025 at 3:01 PM
'The manifesto said no increase in National Insurance. This is an increase in National Insurance.'

@helenmiller.bsky.social and @benzaranko.bsky.social discuss whether the Budget's tax changes are a breach of Labour's manifesto pledge in our new podcast.

🎧 Listen here: ifs.org.uk/articles/aut...
November 28, 2025 at 1:15 PM
Reposted by The Institute for Fiscal Studies
At no point in the process did the OBR have the government missing its fiscal rules by a large margin. Leaves me baffled by the months of speculation and briefing. Was the plan to lead everyone to expect a big income tax rise, then surprise them on the day by not doing it..?
November 28, 2025 at 11:27 AM
Reposted by The Institute for Fiscal Studies
Continue to be astonished by how quickly my colleagues can turn these podcasts around… we only finished recording at 2pm!

Listen in for our take on the Budget, and our attempt to string together coherent sentences on little sleep…
NEW PODCAST: The Autumn Budget 2025 explained

@helenmiller.bsky.social, @benzaranko.bsky.social and @ckfarquharson.bsky.social break down the major decisions in a packed Autumn Budget and what they mean for the UK in our new IFS Zooms In episode.

🎧 Listen here: ifs.org.uk/articles/aut...
November 27, 2025 at 8:46 PM