Listen again · In Conversation
What is behind the UK’s £35bn budget warning? October 13, 2026 · 3:27 · Economy and work · With Maya and Omar
Omar is our columnist for the economy and work. Omar, the Institute for Fiscal Studies, or IFS, has warned of a possible £35 billion pressure on the UK budget. What is behind that figure?
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Maya Welcome to Slow English FM. This is Economy and Work, where we explain economic news and what it may mean for public services. I’m Maya. Omar is our columnist for the economy and work. Maya Omar, the Institute for Fiscal Studies, or IFS, has warned of a possible £35 billion pressure on the UK budget. What is behind that figure? Omar The IFS says the figure comes from two pressures. One is higher inflation, which can reduce what government departments can buy with their cash budgets. The other is a pledge to raise defence spending to 3% of national income by 2030. The IFS says meeting those aims could require about £35 billion in tax rises or benefit cuts. Maya So is £35 billion a bill the government must pay? Omar No. It is the IFS’s estimate of what may be needed to cover those pressures and plans. It is not a settled funding requirement. The BBC reports that the IFS also described its forecasts as exceptionally uncertain. Maya Let’s unpack the inflation part. How can rising prices affect public services if departments already have budgets? Omar A budget can stay the same in cash terms but buy less when prices rise. The BBC reports that the IFS expects higher inflation to erode the value of departments’ cash budgets. The Guardian reports the IFS warned that, if spending totals stay unchanged, the quality or amount of public services could fall. Maya And the defence pledge is not the only spending aim in the picture, is it? Omar That’s right. The BBC says the IFS also considered an aim to increase health spending without squeezing other government departments. The warning is about how to fund those aims while also dealing with the effect of higher prices on public services. Maya What choices does the IFS say the government faces? Omar The reports describe options that include tax rises, spending cuts, or a mix of both. The Guardian also says the IFS identified efficiency savings or extra funding as ways to respond if inflation reduces services’ real spending power. In plain terms, keeping the same cash budget may mean accepting less service, unless savings or more money make up the gap. Maya What should listeners take from this warning before the budget decisions are made? Omar The central issue is a choice about priorities and funding. The IFS is warning that the stated spending aims, higher prices, and unchanged budgets may not all fit together without trade-offs. That is the institute’s assessment, not proof of which choice the government will make. Maya Omar, thank you. And thanks for listening to Economy and Work on Slow English FM. We explain news and stories in clear English to help listeners understand the world. Goodbye.
