This paper examines the upward trend of numbers in receipt of Invalidity Benefit (the major contributory benefit for the long-term sick) in Britain since 1971. Possible explanations include the rising level of unemployment through much of the period; the heightened link between ill-health and...

The difficulties encountered in forecasting social security expenditure (significantly underpredicted for much of the 1980s) have long been a source of concern-not least to officials in the DSS. Although official forecasts are undertaken and published primarily because they are needed for the...

Esta investigación muestra la importancia del alquiler y su potencial en la solución de los principales problemas habitacionales. En la actualidad, 1 de cada 5 hogares de la región alquila su vivienda, siendo el alquiler aún más prevalente en los grupos de población de mayor movilidad...

In this paper we show how estimates of aggregate spending in the UK would be affected by using grossing weights that take account of the known dimensions of non-representativeness of the Family Expenditure Survey. Currently a uniform weighting scheme is used by the ONS. Having estiiuated a model...

Faced with weak sub-national finances that pose a risk to macroeconomic stability, Mexico's federal government in April 2000 established an innovative incentive framework to bring fiscal discipline to state and municipal governments. That framework is based on two pillars: an explicit...

The most dramatic change in the 1989 Budget was a major reform of the structure of employee's National Insurance contributions (NICs). This was the second occasion on which Mr Lawson had tackled this area, having last altered the system in 1985. In section II of this article we describe briefly...