A new IF report, entitled “On Borrowed Time”, produced in collaboration with the Social Market Foundation, launches today. John Hobby, co-author and IF Researcher, explains how the report tackles the economic and moral questions involved in thinking about intergenerationally fair ways to share the costs of the Net Zero transition between current and future generations.… Read more »
Category: Taxation
Never had it so good: the Platinum Jubilee generation
Robert Ashton, IF supporter, writes about how fortunate his Platinum Jubilee generation – born around the time that Queen Elizabeth II ascended to the throne – has been. Having reached 75 I wish somebody would tell me the purpose of old age. Some more worthy than myself will doubtless say that they care for their… Read more »
Packhorse Generation: how the cost of living crisis disproportionately impacts the young
On 7 June IF is hosting a webinar (sign-up here) on the cost-of-living crisis facing young people. In this article, John Hobby, IF researcher, explains the economic backdrop to the mounting financial pressures facing younger generations. Consumer price inflation hit 9% in April, a four decade high that will squeeze the spending power of the… Read more »
Should Housing Association tenants have the right to buy?
Recent reports have suggested that the UK government is considering an extension of the Right to Buy to housing association homes. IF Co-Founder Angus Hanton considers how this would affect the UK’s already-skewed housing market, how it would interact with the housing crisis and how it might impact future generations in the UK. The sale… Read more »
Local elections – will you vote?
Many areas of the England, Scotland and Wales will have local elections tomorrow, 5th May. With turnout historically very low, particularly among younger people, Liz Emerson, IF Co-founder, investigates what issues younger generations can influence locally and why voting locally matters. What does your local councillor do? Local councils are responsible for a wide range… Read more »
Spring Statement: compounding the cost of living crisis for young people
On March 23, Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak, delivered his Spring Statement to Parliament, announcing a number of measures intended to alleviate the cost of living crisis. However, IF Co-Founder, Angus Hanton, argues that this package, combined with the government’s longstanding economic and fiscal policies, will do very little to solve the cost of… Read more »
Regressive student finance plans will punish low and middle earners the most
The upcoming changes to the student loan system is yet another stealth tax on young people, which will hit middle-income and low-income graduates the hardest. In the press release, the government argues that these changes will ensure that the problem is not “passed on to future generations”, but the reality is quite the opposite. In… Read more »
Graduate tax grab by stealth
Graduates have been slapped with an increase to Plan 2 and postgraduate student loan repayments by stealth, which could cost an average earning graduate an additional £110 per year, writes IF volunteer Alana McSkimming Freezing the threshold The Government has announced plans to freeze the student loan repayment threshold. Although this may elicit a sigh… Read more »
The social care cap and the intergenerational contract
On 7 September 2021, the government announced reforms to the social care system in order to provide more support to people with fewer financial resources. A recent announcement on 17 November 2021 casts doubt on whether these reforms will be worth the costs borne by younger generations. John Hobby, IF researcher, investigates whether this is… Read more »
Rise in National Living Wage not enough to help younger people
The government announced a rise in the National Living Wage this week, presenting it as a win for lower-paid working people. Lizzie Simpson, IF Researcher, discusses the details of this rise in the context of inflation and rising costs of living, and questions the merit of the UK’s age-based minimum wage system. Changes to the… Read more »