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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Politics
Larry Elliott Economics editor

Funding of public services in England skewed against poor areas, says IFS

Hounslow in west London
Hounslow in west London received 31% less funding than it would have had money been allocated in proportion to need. Photograph: Justin Tallis/AFP/Getty Images

The government’s levelling up plans for England are being hampered by a funding system that is “not fit for purpose” and deprives the poorest areas of the financial support to match their needs, a leading thinktank has said.

The Institute for Fiscal Studies said that the method for allocating money to pay for public services is out of date, based on inadequate data and skewed in favour of the better-off south-east.

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