This report from UK think tank the Institute of Economic Affairs looks at how low-tax countries offer the world's best welfare. New analysis by the Institute of Economic Affairs busts the myth of Nordic-model high-tax welfare superiority that has dominated political discourse for decades, and delivers a devastating verdict on Britain’s welfare performance as the...

This report from UK think tank the Resolution Foundation explores setting child poverty on a downward course at the Autumn Budget. The Government’s long-awaited Child Poverty Strategy is due next month, close to, or contemporaneous with, the Autumn Budget. There have been some welcome announcements already: the over-indexation of the Universal Credit (UC) standard allowance...

This report from UK think tank the Resolution Foundation examines what the UK’s growing NEETs problem really looks like and how to fix it. Nearly one million young people aged 16-24 in the UK are currently not in education, employment or training (NEET) – the highest level in over a decade. While the Government’s new...

This report from UK think tank the Resolution Foundation examines how the government can help families with high energy bills. This briefing note looks into the drivers of Britain’s stubbornly high household energy bills and how reform of the costs added onto bills offers a route for helping families with the cost of living this...

This report from UK think tank the Growth and Reform Network looks at how national policy can help realise the potential of devolution. Population health is currently a major policy concern in the UK. At an individual level, health is a fundamental precursor to economic participation, and poor health has consistently been recognised as a...

This report from UK think tank the Jobs Foundation shows how businesses are creating the vital 'rungs' that help people climb into stable employment. The Government’s Get Britain Working white paper is a big step in the right direction towards helping to create the two million jobs our economy needs to keep these ladders open...

This report from UK think tank Labour Together looks at the ethics and expectation of contribution. This essay, by Labour Together’s chief policy adviser, Morgan Wild, argues that this Labour government should root itself in an ethic and expectation of contribution: the actions we take that make other people better off. This can be work,...

This report from UK think tank the Institute for Policy Research examines the evolution of nursery prices in England in the wake of 2024 childcare reform. A major expansion of free childcare entitlement in England is currently underway. The policy has significantly expanded the number of parents who are eligible to receive childcare, as well...

This report from UK think tank the Social Market Foundation looks at policies to boost the retirement savings of the self-employed. The low share of self-employed workers saving into private pensions and problematic saving behaviours amongst many who are, is leading to concerns that large numbers of self-employed workers are on track for inadequate retirement...

This report from UK think tank the Resolution Foundation explores how disabilities and caring responsibilities impact the lives of lower-income Britain. Disability disproportionately affects the poorer half of Britain. But to fully understand the impact on families, we need to consider not only those directly affected but also the friends and family members who may...

This report from UK think tank the Centre for Social Justice sets out the case for reforming the Pupil Premium. Since its introduction in 2011, over £27 billion has been allocated to mainstream schools across England through the Pupil Premium (PP) – a policy designed to raise attainment for disadvantaged pupils through targeted funding. Yet...

This report from UK think tank the Centre for Social Justice builds on their landmark report, to offer a new plan to all political parties. Few issues are as explosive in British politics as welfare reform. But just as the smell of cordite following the blazing row over winter fuel payments is wafting away, an...

This report from UK think tank the Centre for Social Justice examines the crisis of bad behaviour disrupting classrooms. There is a crisis of bad behaviour disrupting classrooms. The latest government data reveals a shocking 21 per cent increase in suspensions and 16 per cent increase in permanent exclusions. Government and schools have an important...

This report from UK think tank PBE explores low wellbeing in the UK today. What comprises a decent life? It’s a hard question to definitively answer, with any individual’s response likely to differ from their neighbour’s (and even from their own answer five years in the future). Money is, of course, an important factor, and...

This report from UK think tank the Institute for Policy Research examines the experiences of self-employed Universal Credit claimants. When Universal Credit (UC) is fully rolled out in 2026, the proportion of claims with one or more self-employed earners is expected to reach around one in ten, equivalent to around 700,000 households. Self-employed people therefore...