Latest Publications
Public Services
Strong public services are vital in a social market economy, but what they deliver matters much more than who delivers it. Our work is about understanding how to reform and modernise those services to deliver the greatest benefit to society.
Latest Publications:
Publication
Risky Business: Social Impact Bonds and public services
Social Impact Bonds are an innovative way of commissioning public services. Private or philanthropic investors provide the upfront finance, with government only paying them a return if and once social outcomes are achieved. However, the number of Social Impact Bonds currently underway is small, and our analysis finds that they are unlikely to appeal to mainstream investors unless some major hurdles can be overcome.
| Published: | 31 July 2013 |
|---|---|
| Author(s): | Ian Mulheirn, Nigel Keohane, Ryan Shorthouse |
Publication
SMF Briefing: Spending Review 2013
This briefing looks at the scale of cuts being made to current spending at the June 2013 Spending Review in the context of the entire fiscal consolidation, and shows that despite the difficulties of making the £11.5bn of cuts required, this Spending Review represents only a fraction of the remaining £33bn consolidation needed to get the public finances back on track by 2018.
| Published: | 24 June 2013 |
|---|---|
| Author: | Social Market Foundation |
Publication
SMF Briefing: Making the Cap fit – the Implications of an AME spending limit
At the Budget the Chancellor announced his intention to set a limit on a significant proportion of public spending in order to tackle the 'growth of spending on welfare benefits' in the years ahead. This paper explores the implications of such a cap for pensions and working age welfare.
| Published: | 08 April 2013 |
|---|---|
| Author: | Ian Mulheirn |
Publication
A Future State of Mind: Facing up to the dementia challenge
This report draws on in-depth interviews with people with Alzheimer's and their carers and a wealth of research to identify the barriers to early diagnosis, from a patient and professional perspective.
| Published: | 12 December 2012 |
|---|---|
| Author(s): | Nigel Keohane, Ryan Shorthouse, Nida Broughton |
Publication
Fiscal Fallout: The challenge ahead for public spending and public services
This new analysis shows that the Coalition’s plans require much greater spending cuts or tax rises than were implied even at the last Budget, to get the public finances back on track after 2014.
| Published: | 12 November 2012 |
|---|---|
| Author(s): | Ian Mulheirn, Nida Broughton, Ben Lucas, Henry Kippin |
Publication
Sink or Swim? The impact of the Universal Credit
Based on interviews with low-income families, this report examines the impact of the new Universal Credit on households' financial resilience and proposes an innovative reform.
| Published: | 17 September 2012 |
|---|---|
| Author(s): | Nigel Keohane, Ryan Shorthouse |
Publication
Osborne’s Choice: Combining fiscal credibility and growth
This paper makes the case for bringing forward the unidentified £15bn of austerity measures that have to be made in the next parliament, and spending the extra £50bn this would save over four years to simulate the economy and cut unemployment.
| Published: | 19 February 2012 |
|---|---|
| Author(s): | Ian Mulheirn, Dan Corry, Evan Davis, Gavyn Davies, Gerald Holtham, Richard Lambert |
Publication
A Better Beginning: Easing the cost of childcare
This paper proposes an entirely new policy - a National Childcare Contribution Scheme – to help parents manage the high costs of childcare over a number of years.
| Published: | 07 February 2012 |
|---|---|
| Author(s): | Ian Mulheirn, Jeff Masters, Ryan Shorthouse |
Publication
The Parent Trap: Illustrating the growing costs of childcare
The paper demonstrates how childcare affordability has deteriorated and will continue to decline in the years ahead.
| Published: | 28 November 2011 |
|---|---|
| Author(s): | Ian Mulheirn, Ryan Shorthouse |