Public services need another £44bn by 2025 to cope with inflation, says IFS

Severe cuts to services feared as rising costs absorb a big chunk of increased departmental spending

The government will need to spend an extra 44bn over the next three years on public services to keep pace with rising inflation and avoid steep cuts, according to analysis by the Institute for Fiscal Studies.

In a review of the rising costs facing the public sector, the IFS said that without further funding, Whitehall budgets faced being overwhelmed by rising cost pressures that would force departments to cut staff and services.