The Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) estimates a quarter of UK graduates, particularly those with creative or performing arts degrees, may be financially worse off after university. This report fuels ongoing debate on university funding, student loans, and the value of higher education.
Global food production faces significant disruption from the Iran war and El Niño, threatening UK food security. Experts warn the UK's reliance on global markets and its vulnerable domestic system require an overhaul to ensure resilience against climate change and geopolitical shocks.
An interim warning from the UK's Pensions Commission highlights that 15 million Britons aren't saving enough for retirement. Issues include low-paid and self-employed workers, gender and ethnic pension gaps, and risks from pensioner freedoms.
The Institute for Fiscal Studies found that the Conservatives' Help to Buy scheme primarily benefited high-earners in the top 10%, accelerating housing and wealth inequalities. Rather than helping people onto the property ladder, the policy helped already fortunate buyers accumulate wealth faster or purchase more expensive properties. The study adds to previous findings showing the scheme failed to address structural housing costs and represented a lost opportunity to invest in social housing or council building programmes.
