Policy articles and commentary
Analysis, discussion summaries and practical commentary from people working close to policy and delivery.
Administrative data supports councils in delivering the Crisis and Resilience Fund (CRF) end-to-end, from identifying residents who may be eligible for support to running targeted campaigns and tracking outcomes. Administrative data allows councils to…
Read articleBy Paul Howarth Councils across England face an increasingly complex set of challenges as they seek to manage their council tax reduction (CTR) schemes. Alongside financial pressures and the final stages of Universal Credit…
Read articleThe ordinary working age Housing Benefit caseload has finally closed, almost nine years after Universal Credit was supposed to have completed the job. The administrative milestone is real. The promised simplification is much harder…
Read articleFrom firefighting to reform Revenues and benefits at the edge of another year of change At the final Independent R&B Monday Discussion Group before the summer break, practitioners reflected on tight budgets, difficult system…
Read articleHousing pressure, local government reorganisation and public trust A narrative account of the discussion held on 20 July 2026, chaired by Malcolm Gardner A discussion that began with homeless households being placed hundreds of…
Read articleIs history trying to repeat itself? The names and boundaries may be changing, but the struggle to balance strategic scale with local identity is remarkably familiar. The short version: 2026 is not simply 1974…
Read articleThe Monday Discussion Group considers what a Burnham government might mean for local taxation, welfare delivery and local government reform The prospect of an Andy Burnham-led government presents an intriguing question for local government:…
Read articleThe latest Monday Independent Revenues and Benefits Discussion Group opened in familiar style, with Malcolm Gardner easing the group into the session through light conversation about the recent heatwave and the programme of conferences…
Read articleThe Independent Revenues and Benefits Monday Discussion Group focused this week on two connected pressures facing local government: local government reorganisation and the growing financial strain caused by council tax dependency, adult social care…
Read articleThe Independent Revenues and Benefits Monday Discussion Group returned this week to two themes that are beginning to converge: the growing number of young people not in education, employment or training, and the impact…
Read articleThe latest Visionary Network Monday Discussion Group ranged widely, from the council tax treatment of houseboats to the implications of the King’s Speech for local government, digital services and future welfare administration. The session…
Read articleThis week’s Independent Revenues and Benefits Monday Discussion Group focused mainly on the political consequences of the local elections and what they may mean for councils, officers, local welfare policy and Revenues and Benefits…
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