The RSS “statistic of the year” is absolute bunk

Richard Norrie
30 December 2019
Welfare

The RSS “statistic of the year” is absolute bunk

58 per cent! This is the “statistic of the year” according to the Royal Statistical Society. It is the share of those in relative poverty that are in working households. This statistic was entered into the RSS competition to find the statistic of the year by the Institute for Fiscal Studies. There are two fundamental ... Continue reading
Richard Norrie
30 December 2019
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Universal Basic Income still has a lot of questions to be answered, says new IEA report

29 December 2019
Welfare

Universal Basic Income still has a lot of questions to be answered, says new IEA report

Universal Basic Income (UBI) is gathering increasing support from both the political left and right but there is no clear consensus over what the best model might look like, argues a new report from the Institute of Economics Affairs. ‘Universal Basic Income: The State of Play in the UK Today’, written by IEA Head of ... Continue reading
29 December 2019
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Universal Basic Income: Is it a good idea?

Dr Stephen Davies
29 December 2019
Research

Universal Basic Income: Is it a good idea?

The idea of a Universal Basic Income (UBI) is currently the subject of much interest and discussion in the UK, with support and opposition from several parts of the political spectrum. Although currently modish this is actually an idea that has been around for a long time and was first formulated over two centuries ago. ... Continue reading
Dr Stephen Davies
29 December 2019
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Labour’s £58bn pension pledge “shreds any remaining fiscal credibility”

25 November 2019
Welfare

Labour’s £58bn pension pledge “shreds any remaining fiscal credibility”

Julian Jessop quoted in The Daily Express

Labour's pledge to spend £58bn compensating women - regardless of need - for increases in the state pension age, is "a poor use of taxpayers' money" and" shreds any remaining fiscal credibility the party might have" comments Economics Fellow Julian Jessop in The Daily Express. Read the full article here.... Continue reading
25 November 2019
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Labour’s plan for social care could result in “poorer quality public services”

8 November 2019
Welfare

Labour’s plan for social care could result in “poorer quality public services”

Mark Littlewood quoted in The Daily Express

In response to Labour's plans to spend billions on free personal care for over-65s, the IEA's Director General Mark Littlewood commented that the plans were unsustainable and could worsen public services in the long run. Mark warned that "funnelling more taxpayer money into the current system won't do enough to solve the long-term funding gaps" ... Continue reading
8 November 2019
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Opposition’s Universal Credit plans likely ‘to cost the taxpayer a lot more’

19 September 2019
Welfare

Opposition’s Universal Credit plans likely ‘to cost the taxpayer a lot more’

Julian Jessop quoted in the Daily Express

Julian Jessop, an Economics Fellow at the Institute of Economic Affairs think tank, responded to Labour's plans for Universal Credit, set out ahead of their party conference. He noted that while "the transition to Universal Credit has undoubtedly been poorly managed and under-funded" Labour hadn't been clear about what would replace it and Julian believes ... Continue reading
19 September 2019
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Staycation Britons to give economy a £2bn bank holiday boost

23 August 2019
Welfare

Staycation Britons to give economy a £2bn bank holiday boost

Kate Andrews quoted in the Daily Express

Kate Andrews, Associate Director at the Institute of Economic Affairs, has been quoted in the Daily Express. Kate Andrews, of the Institute of Economic Affairs, said: "When it comes to consumer choice, there is no better year to be alive than 2019." "Whether you're enjoying a staycation in the beautiful English countryside, or jetting off ... Continue reading
23 August 2019
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Do we need a welfare state at all?

Carolin Bollig
29 July 2019
Welfare

Do we need a welfare state at all?

Given the manifold problems with both the implementation and the design of Universal Credit (UC), as well as similar problems in other welfare systems, one feels tempted to take a step back, and ask: is all this really necessary? Has the state created an overly complicated system where private initiative would have sufficed? Or more ... Continue reading
Carolin Bollig
29 July 2019
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Universal Credit: what went wrong? (Part 3: lessons from Germany)

Carolin Bollig
17 July 2019
Welfare

Universal Credit: what went wrong? (Part 3: lessons from Germany)

Parts 1 and 2 demonstrated that while Universal Credit (UC) has the potential to increase efficiency, improve employment incentives and promote recipient independence, there are flaws both in its implementation and the underlying system. At this point, it seems helpful to consider developments in the welfare models of other countries. Take Germany, for example. Its ... Continue reading
Carolin Bollig
17 July 2019
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Universal Credit: what went wrong? (Part 2: the design)

Carolin Bollig
11 July 2019
Welfare

Universal Credit: what went wrong? (Part 2: the design)

...continued from Part 1   The issues of implementation described before should largely go away once UC is finally rolled-out completely and the old “legacy benefits” are gone. However, some issues with UC go deeper; they are a matter system design rather than teething trouble. One is that after going through the strains of a ... Continue reading
Carolin Bollig
11 July 2019
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