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

Thinktank warns that government's promises of levelling up are being undermined by system that is not fit for purpose'

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The Institute for Fiscal Studies said that the method for allocating money to pay for public services is out of date, based on inadequate data and skewed in favour of the better-off south-east.