Should the middle class get benefits?

2025-10-02

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From child benefit to winter fuel payments, debates over who really deserves support run through the history of the UK’s welfare state. In this episode of IFS Zooms In, we ask whether benefits should be universal, means-tested or contributory — and why the UK's benefits system has become one of the most means-tested in the developed world.Helen is joined by Nicholas Timmins (Institute for Government) and Tom Waters (IFS) to explore Beveridge’s original vision, the rise of means-testing and wheth...

From child benefit to winter fuel payments, debates over who really deserves support run through the history of the UK’s welfare state.

In this episode of IFS Zooms In, we ask whether benefits should be universal, means-tested or contributory — and why the UK's benefits system has become one of the most means-tested in the developed world.

Helen is joined by Nicholas Timmins (Institute for Government) and Tom Waters (IFS) to explore Beveridge’s original vision, the rise of means-testing and whether ideas like Universal Basic Income could work.

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