Policy area: Social policy

Reports

Future wellbeing policy: Lessons from Wales and beyond

This report from UK think tank Carnegie UK reflects on the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act since it was enshrined in law just over ten years ago. In January 2026, the Institute of Welsh Affairs (IWA) together with Carnegie UK, the Centre for Welsh Politics and Society/WISERD, and the Co-production Network for Wales convened...

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Pension shock

This report from UK think tank the Social Market Foundation examines the potential pension shock facing Gen X. Britain’s middle-aged workers stand on the cusp of a social crisis. Gen X – born between 1965 and 1980 – are next in line for retirement. Born too late to benefit from relatively robust Defined Benefit (DB)...

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Cash transfers for care leavers

This report from UK think tank the Policy Institute examines the findings of a randomised controlled trial into cash transfers for care leavers. Young people leaving care who were given a one-off £2,000 cash lump sum, with no strings attached, were more likely to be in stable housing and less likely to be “sofa-surfing” than...

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Hostile states and the Far Right: Converging tactics

This report from UK think tank RUSI examines how hostile states exploit far-right gender and identity narratives to polarise societies and weaken democracies. This paper highlights the critical intersection between hostile state actors and transnational far-right movements, revealing how gender and identity-based narratives are weaponised to polarise societies, weaken democratic institutions and disrupt international alliances....

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Paternity allowance: Six weeks for self-employed and worker dads

This report from UK think tank the Institute for Policy Research assesses the costs and benefits of introducing a new entitlement for self-employed and worker fathers. Although designed to promote gender equality, parental leave policies in the UK have yet to close the gap in uptake, with women taking significantly more leave than men. Authors...

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Trustee as sovereign

This report from UK think tank the Social Market Foundation calls for a pensions governance and regulatory framework fit for 2035. This paper examines the Pension Schemes Bill 2025, supporting its aims while warning against excessive delegated powers and mandated investment in private assets, which could conflict with trustees’ fiduciary duties. It urges caution over...

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Higher ground

This report from UK think tank Bright Blue proposes eight new policies for the government to adopt to increase abundance and certainty in the housing and energy markets. This report examines the trends in, and private and public impacts of, stagnant living standards in the UK over the past few decades. It then offers distinctive...

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Student loan reform: weighing the trade-offs

This report from UK think tank IPPR outlines the pros and cons of various policy options for student loan reform. Millions of graduates are paying more for longer as frozen thresholds and high interest rates bite, leaving ministers with tough choices on how to deliver meaningful, targeted relief. This report outlines the pros and cons...

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Unsung Britain

This report from UK think tank the Resolution Foundation paints a portrait of the poorer half of the country's population. The 13 million working-age families across the poorer half of the country are widely courted by politicians. No party can win elections without their votes, and the country cannot succeed without their needs being met....

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Fighting organised crime: Recovering illicit assets in Chile

This report from UK think tank RUSI offers actionable recommendations to enhance Chile's institutional resilience. This paper highlights the critical need for Chile to strengthen its asset-recovery frameworks to combat the growing threat of organised crime and money laundering. It provides an in-depth analysis of the structural challenges hindering Chile's ability to trace, seize and...

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Fixing the SEND system

This report from UK think tank the Social Market Foundation examines the current policy landscape to assess which reforms are likely to work in practice. England’s SEND system is widely recognised to be in crisis. Government is considering reform but must choose between politically risky structural change and limited tweaks that leave core problems unresolved....

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The hidden benefits bill

This report from UK think tank Onward calls for a fundamental rationalisation of passported benefits as the UC rollout nears completion. The Hidden Benefits Bill argues that the true cost of the UK’s working-age welfare system is significantly higher than headline Universal Credit (UC) spending figures suggest, because of a large and growing set of...

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Tackling child poverty in London

This report from UK think tank the Centre for London states that London must commit to a consistent, city-wide effort to address the root causes of child poverty. On December 5th 2025, national government released its long-anticipated Child Poverty Strategy – Our Children, Our Future: Tackling Child Poverty. This set a 10-year mission to reduce...

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From engagement to action

This report from UK think tank the Social Market Foundation looks at improving retirement saving outcomes with a pensions dashboard health check. Widespread disengagement with pensions is contributing to the UK’s retirement savings crisis. With the transition to defined contribution pensions increasing the individual responsibility to save enough for retirement, this report sets out how a ‘pensions dashboard health check’ could improve citizens’ ability to effectively prepare...

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Three ways to bring home energy bills down for good

This report from UK think tank Green Alliance shows how targeted action could cut bills by between £87 and £404 per year. Energy bills are still £481 higher than before the gas price crisis, with over nine million households in fuel poverty in England and Wales. But there are practical solutions that could bring costs...

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