Insights archive
In 2024/25, councils in England raised £258million in court costs for the non-payment of council tax, sending more than three million households to court. These new findings are part of our upcoming report, Debt on…
Read articleThe Department for Work and Pensions’ Spring Forecast 2026 is, on one level, exactly what these documents often are: a dense set of tables, assumptions and projected expenditure lines. But behind the spreadsheets sits…
Read articleRecurring digital payments have quietly become a fixed feature of household finances across the UK, Europe and the United States. For revenues and benefits services, understanding their scale, their cross-national consistency — and their…
Read articleThe Independent Revenues and Benefits Monday Discussion Group on 30 March ranged across three familiar but connected themes: supported housing, local government reorganisation and the latest poverty figures. What tied the conversation together was…
Read articleAdministrative 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 articleThis week’s Independent R&B Monday Discussion Group opened with two subjects that, on the surface, might have looked separate, but quickly proved to be deeply connected. Malcolm Gardner framed the session around a practical…
Read articleFor a fleeting moment in early 2026, the UK appeared to have escaped the gravity of the inflation crisis. Households finally saw a window of relief as energy forecasts dipped and the Bank of…
Read articlePurpose To set out a single, joined up view of the national economic and fiscal outlook, and the practical implications for council tax, council tax reduction (CTR), local welfare support (including DHP and crisis…
Read articleMeeting summary for 2 February 2026 Who contributed Participants referenced in the transcript included: malcolm Gardner (chair), Naomi Armstrong, Nicki Duckworth, Kirsty Brooksmith (H&F), Gareth Morgan, Michael Fisher, Robert Fox, Paul Howarth, Sean O’Sullivan,…
Read articleOn 26 January 2026, the Independent Revenues and Benefits Monday Discussion Group focused mainly on the new Crisis and Resilience Fund, with a closing round of linked updates on digital delivery, WorkWell, and a…
Read article