# Helen Miller

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Is a degree a good investment?

More young people than ever are going to university, but the financial stakes have also risen. Many graduates begin their careers with around £50,000 of student debt and could make repayments for up to 40 years. While some degrees deliver substantial lifetime earnings gains, others may leave gradua…

Are business rates 'killing the high street'?

Business rates have long been blamed for the decline of Britain’s high streets. Shops and pubs face large bills, while online retailers can operate from cheaper out-of-town warehouses. So surely cutting business rates would help? Not necessarily. Helen Miller is joined by IFS tax expert Stuart Adam…

Burnham’s Big Economic Choices

Today, we discuss the economic challenges Andy Burnham is facing ahead of his first budget. The economic backdrop has left the prime minister and his Chancellor John Healey with big decisions to make about defence spending, as pressure increases on the government to raise it. Adam Fleming is joine…

What would it take to fix social care?

Social care reform has challenged successive governments for decades. Now, the government wants to create a national care service and has launched a new push to find a long-term solution. But how does social care actually work? Who currently pays for it, and why can some people face such large and …

Has the triple lock been fixed?

>>> Sign up to our live event: https://ifs.org.uk/events/ifs-zooms-live-look-ahead-budget <<< The government has announced a major change to the state pension triple lock. The new system will continue to protect pensions against inflation and guarantee increases of at least 2.5%, but changes how in…

KesCon26 Week 3 - Evening Celebration 4/7 - Helen Miller - Exodus: Defeating the strong man - Know that God is God

The plagues demonstrate God’s power over his creation, and over the so-called gods of Egypt (cf Deut 32.17, Ps 106.36-37 false gods or ‘demons’ ESV). His judgement. But also his mercy: each plague is limited in scope and time, and he is gracious to Israel. His purpose is to rescue his people, but a…

Are renewables making electricity more expensive?

>>> Sign up to our live event: https://ifs.org.uk/events/ifs-zooms-live-look-ahead-budget <<< Renewable energy is at the centre of the debate about Britain's high electricity prices. Some argue that wind and solar power are driving up costs, requiring expensive subsidies, backup generation and upgr…

Has Putin made Trump look like an idiot again?

Donald Trump knows who his friends are and who his enemies are. And in 2026, with midterm elections just days away, Trump has decide his friend is Putin and his job is to lift sanctions to buy Russian oil - enriching the Kremlin in the process. He’s hoping it will bring down the price of diesel to …

323. Are creditors too hard on the UK?

Why are economists’ estimates of our fiscal headroom so different from each other? What does the chancellor John Healey need to do to get the markets on side? Will multiple small tax tweaks get us the money we need? Are we realistic enough about public spending? How might tax distribution change wi…