<![CDATA[Dani Payne]]>https://danihpayne.substack.comhttps://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!P9uq!,w_256,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff572c334-f03d-48c0-9c11-cec927888caf_700x700.jpegDani Paynehttps://danihpayne.substack.comSubstackWed, 04 Nov 2026 16:48:53 GMT<![CDATA[40+ jobs in politics & policy this week (including 24 at No.10 North!)]]>https://danihpayne.substack.com/p/40-jobs-in-politics-and-policy-thishttps://danihpayne.substack.com/p/40-jobs-in-politics-and-policy-thisMon, 02 Nov 2026 13:41:50 GMTAnother week, another round-up of jobs in politics and policy!

🌱 Early-career opportunities

1. Parliamentary Assistant – APPG on Anti-Corruption and Responsible Tax

Location: London
Salary: £29,000
Contract: 12-month fixed term
Deadline: 10 November

Interested in tackling corruption, tax avoidance and dirty money?

The All-Party Parliamentary Group on Anti-Corruption and Responsible Tax is recruiting a Parliamentary Assistant to support its policy and campaigning work. You’ll help deliver parliamentary campaigns, research policy issues, prepare briefings and work with politicians and external stakeholders.

Full job description and how to apply

2. Associate Consultant – Sanctuary

Location: London
Salary: £31,000
Deadline: 20 November

Looking to break into strategic communications or public affairs?

Sanctuary is an advisory firm working with businesses, non-profits and governments on reputation, media strategy and public affairs. You’ll research political developments, draft briefings and communications, and support the development of strategies for clients. A good opportunity for someone with strong writing skills, political awareness and an interest in the intersection between politics, media and business.

Full job description and how to apply

3. Service and Policy Support Officer – Compassion in Dying

Location: London / hybrid
Salary: £32,721–£35,448
Contract: Permanent
Deadline: 16 November, 5pm

How can people’s real-life experiences be used to influence health policy?

Compassion in Dying is looking for someone to work across its service delivery and policy functions, helping people have greater control over their end-of-life care.

You’ll coordinate service operations and turn insights from people seeking support into evidence for the charity’s policy work. A good option for someone interested in health and social policy who wants experience connecting frontline services with national influencing.

Full job description and how to apply

4. Senior Policy and Public Affairs Officer – Breakthrough T1D

Location: Home-based, near Edinburgh, Cardiff or Belfast
Salary: £32,750
Contract: 12-month fixed term
Deadline: 30 November (rolling recruitment)

A public affairs opportunity focused on the devolved nations…

Breakthrough T1D, the type 1 diabetes charity, is recruiting someone to lead its policy and parliamentary engagement across Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. You’d work with politicians, government officials, researchers and people living with type 1 diabetes to influence access to treatments, new technologies and early detection.

Full job description and how to apply

💼 Mid-career policy and public affairs

5. Senior Policy Advisor (2 roles) – London Chamber of Commerce and Industry

Location: London / hybrid
Salary: Up to £45,000
Contract: Permanent
Deadline: 8 November

Interested in how politics shapes business and the economy?

The London Chamber of Commerce and Industry is recruiting two Senior Policy Advisors, covering:

  • Skills, Infrastructure & Environment: including employment, skills, construction and sustainability.

  • Business, Trade & Innovation: including international trade, tax, finance, AI and technology.

You’ll develop policy positions, produce research and recommendations, advise business committees and engage with decision-makers across Westminster and City Hall.

Full job descriptions and how to apply

6. Monitoring and Evaluation Senior Manager – The Politics Project

Location: London / hybrid or UK-wide remote
Salary: £40,000–£47,000
Contract: Permanent
Deadline: 18 November

With votes at 16 on the agenda, how do we make sure young people actually understand politics?

The Politics Project works with schools and youth organisations to improve democratic education. It’s recruiting someone to lead its research and evaluation, measuring the impact of its programmes and managing a national project examining democratic education in England’s schools and colleges.

A particularly interesting opportunity for someone with research and evaluation experience who wants to work at the intersection of education, politics and youth participation.

Full job description and how to apply

7. Principal Policy Officer – Manchester City Council

Location: Manchester / hybrid
Salary: £48,738–£53,051
Contract: Permanent
Deadline: 9 November

Manchester City Council is recruiting a Principal Policy Officer to develop strategies aimed at ensuring more residents benefit from the city’s economic growth. You’ll lead research and policy projects, work with businesses and public sector partners, and advise senior council officers and elected members.

The role covers economic development, inequality and public service priorities, and would suit someone with experience in policy, research, strategy or partnership working.

Full job description and how to apply

8. External Affairs Manager – Persimmon Homes

Location: Newcastle, Durham or Teesside
Salary: Competitive (not disclosed)
Contract: Permanent
Deadline: 12 November

A different kind of public affairs role, working in the housebuilding industry. Persimmon Homes is recruiting someone to lead political and community engagement across Yorkshire and the North East. You’d work with MPs, councillors, local authorities and residents on housing developments and planning applications, advise senior colleagues on political and reputational risks, and manage media communications.

Full job description and how to apply

📈 Senior policy and research leadership

9. Senior Public Affairs Manager – The Royal Society

Location: London
Salary: £50,000–£56,000
Contract: Permanent
Deadline: 9 November

Want to influence how government uses scientific evidence? The Royal Society is looking for a Senior Public Affairs Manager to strengthen its engagement with Parliament, ministers and other decision-makers.

You’ll develop influencing strategies, coordinate responses to political developments, work with research teams to communicate their findings and manage two public affairs colleagues. A good opportunity for someone with established public affairs experience interested in science, research and innovation policy.

Full job description and how to apply

10. Associate Director, Devolution and Local Government – Institute for Government

Location: London / hybrid
Salary: £55,000–£60,000
Contract: Permanent
Deadline: 20 November, 1pm

The Institute for Government is recruiting an Associate Director to help lead its research on devolution and local government, examining how power, funding and decision-making are distributed across the UK.

You’d design and lead research projects, develop policy recommendations, engage ministers and senior officials, represent the Institute in the media and help secure funding.

Full job description and how to apply

🏛️ Working for an MP / in Parliament

🏛️ Civil Service jobs: No.10 North is recruiting!

A particularly interesting round-up this week: No.10 North is recruiting for 24 positions across seven roles, with salaries ranging from £39,250 to £117,800.

]]><![CDATA[Three unanswered questions about education after Budget 2026]]>https://danihpayne.substack.com/p/three-unanswered-questions-abouthttps://danihpayne.substack.com/p/three-unanswered-questions-aboutWed, 28 Oct 2026 16:13:23 GMTLast year, one of the most consequential education announcements in the Budget was also one of the easiest to miss. A freezing of the Plan 2 student loan repayment threshold was just a single line in Rachel Reeves’ speech, squeezed under “making the tax system fairer and fit for the 21st century”, but was one of the largest revenue-raising strategies in that budget and sparked months of policy debate around the fairness of the current student loan system.

This year, John Healey’s first budget – and the first of the Burnham government – seemingly had little to say on education: £15 million for children’s books here, a flying mention of universities there. Yet today what has not been said raises just as important questions for the education sector as what made it into the speech.

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Three in particular stand out:

1. How to solve a problem like Plan 2 student loans?

Just last month Lucy Powell, the Education Secretary, described the student loan system as “broken and unfair”, and said that on the threshold freeze for Plan 2 specifically, the issue was “at the top of [her] in-tray”.[1] However, student loans did not feature in the budget at all.

Following Rachel Reeves’s freeze of the Plan 2 repayment threshold last November, we warned that this move would pull more low- and middle-income graduates into repayments earlier and would ultimately mean they repaid more over time.

The premise of our student loan system is this: that there is a financial benefit to going to university, and those that receive that benefit should contribute to the cost of that education through repayments once they are earning. However, that promise has been eroding following minimum wage rises and the slowing of the graduate premium.

Further rises to the minimum wage today, while welcome for workers, mean that alongside a challenging graduate job market, many graduates earning just above the legal minimum (with the rise now at approximately £27,400 per year at 40 hours per week) will be approaching the threshold at which they have to start making repayments on their loan (£29,385 for Plan 2 until 2030). In fact, if the threshold remains frozen, the repayment threshold and minimum wage will converge in 2030, meaning that graduates earning the legal minimum may be liable to start repayments, clearly breaking the underlying promise of the loan system that you do not need to repay before financially benefitting from your degree.

The question remains, then, what the Government intends to do about a system it now openly acknowledges is unfair. Will it reverse the threshold freeze and reduce monthly repayments for low- and middle-earning graduates, or continue to ask them to contribute before they have felt any meaningful advantage from university? Recognising the problem is welcome, but when you’re in Government that isn’t enough – you are expected to actually do something about it. Luckily for them, we have already laid out the best options for reform.

2. Who will plug the £6n SEND funding hole?

In February, government committed to covering 90% of councils’ historic high-needs deficits accumulated through 2025/26. At the previous budget, Rachel Reeves also committed to bringing SEND spending within central government departmental budgets from 2028/29. Who covers the cost in between remains unsettled.

The OBR’s forecast has SEND deficits reaching £5.7bn in 2027-28, and notes that the impact of the SEND reforms announced in February remains “very uncertain” – not least because these were announced by the previous Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson and it’s uncertain the extent to which it’ll be fulfilled by Lucy Powell, and when, given that many of the reforms were scheduled for after the next election. It’s also likely that this issue will continue to grow – our previous research on the topic warned that delays to implementation would create a rush for support from families and schools in the interim, and in October ministers confirmed that the waiting time for an EHCP appeal has reached 19 months.[2]

Covering historic deficits is significant, as was the Government’s decision to bring SEND spending into departmental budgets, which had been threatening to bankrupt local authorities. However, without clarity about the next two years, councils are still being asked to plan services without knowing how much of the resulting bill they will ultimately have to meet. Meanwhile, demand continues to grow.

3. Are we heading towards an increasingly divided higher education sector?

Apart from a brief mention of our ‘top ranking’ institutions, universities were even more absent from the Budget than usual. While the sector had been lobbying for a reversal on the international student levy and campaigners had been hoping for some movement on student loans, neither came to fruition. What caught my eye in the Budget documents, however, was the decision to offer two-year Graduate visas to graduates of ‘high compliance universities’ with ‘strong labour market outcomes’, a reversal from the planned blanket reduction to 18 months.

There are many obvious unanswered questions this poses, not least around how they plan to actually define ‘strong labour market outcomes’, whether this principle could one day extent to the funding of domestic students, and whether focusing too heavily on labour market outcomes favours providers that predominantly recruit more advantaged students. But for me the most interesting question is about the future of the higher education sector more broadly.

Previously the higher education sector has done a surprisingly good job of – for the most part – speaking with one voice. Institutions will be tied to different mission groups, but broadly everyone has been rowing in the same direction, and careful to keep policy disagreements behind closed doors. As finances worsen, this may not continue.

We’ve already seen several years of high tariff expansion while lower-tariff institutions are squeezed. Our Level 3 results day analysis highlighted that lower tariff universities continue to be squeezed as higher and medium-tariff institutions expand to plug budget gaps, with high-tariff institution acceptances far surpassing even their pandemic peak in 2021. Since then, we’ve seen calls from the Russell Group for differentiated fees and minimum entry requirements, which would almost certainly worsen the financial pressure on lower tariff universities, and lobbying for changes to the international student levy that would benefit high tariff providers at the expense of other institutions. In the midst of financial woes, is the higher education sector becoming increasingly divided? And how will Government policy decisions, rewarding one part of the sector and punishing another, further contribute to this?

These questions of course sit alongside a wider challenge for government in matching its ambition for education and skills with the support learners need. While it’s spoken at length about its ambition for parity of esteem and a high quality technical education system, parity of funding between academic and technical remains unanswered, including the lack of pupil premium funding for post-16 education and training.

None of these problems will necessarily be solved in a single budget. But leaving them unresolved has consequences: graduates continue to repay under terms ministers themselves describe as unfair, councils face growing costs without certainty about who will cover them, and universities compete against one another. The Government has acknowledged many of these problems – the question now is how long students, families and institutions will be expected to wait for them to be answered.

[1] https://hansard.parliament.uk/Commons/2026-09-14/debates/d16465d3-3ac2-4b8b-9504-93adadee26ad/CommonsChamber

[2] https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2026-10-12/33768

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]]><![CDATA[From Big Tech to City Hall: who's hiring in policy this week?]]>https://danihpayne.substack.com/p/from-big-tech-to-city-hall-whos-hiringhttps://danihpayne.substack.com/p/from-big-tech-to-city-hall-whos-hiringMon, 26 Oct 2026 12:40:35 GMTWe’re back for week three of my roundup of the best (in my opinion!) jobs currently open across politics, policy, public affairs and civil society.

I’ve once again been trawling through job boards so you don’t have to, and this week I’ve found 26 opportunities that I think are worth having on your radar.

We’ve got a good mix this week - including a fully remote digital policy role, jobs working on marine conservation and children’s cancer, six policy vacancies at the GLA, and opportunities in everything from financial wellbeing and health policy to protecting consumers from big tech.

Let’s get into it!

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🌱 Entry-level / early-career opportunities

For people starting out in policy, public affairs and campaigning, or looking to move into the sector.

1. Digital Sovereignty Policy Assistant — Open Rights Group

📍 UK-wide / fully remote | 💰 £25,507 for four days a week (£31,883 FTE) | ⏳ 9 November, 9am

Interested in how we regulate Big Tech, AI and the internet?

Open Rights Group is a digital rights campaigning organisation, and it’s recruiting a Policy Assistant to help develop its work on digital rights and reducing the UK’s dependence on major technology companies.

An interesting opportunity for someone early in their policy career who wants to specialise in technology and digital rights. But you don’t have to be a specialist - they say they’re more interested in your skills and analytical ability than existing knowledge of every policy issue.

It’s also fully remote from anywhere in the UK, working four days a week.

View the job and apply →

2. Parliamentary Affairs Officer (Senedd) — Marine Conservation Society

📍 Home-based, within commuting distance of Cardiff | 💰 £27,000–£31,000 | ⏳ 1 November

The Marine Conservation Society is recruiting someone to lead its parliamentary affairs work in Wales, influencing legislation and policy decisions on marine conservation. You’d build relationships with Members of the Senedd, ministers and government officials, monitor parliamentary debates, and develop briefings to make the case for stronger ocean protection.

Would suit someone with public affairs or advocacy experience and an understanding of Welsh politics who wants to work on environmental policy outside Westminster. The role is home-based, although you’ll need to be within commuting distance of Cardiff and willing to travel for parliamentary engagement and events.

View the job and apply →

3. Campaigns and External Influencing Officer — Young Lives vs Cancer

📍 London / hybrid | 💰 £32,963 | ⏳ 8 November

One for anyone interested in how charities turn research and policy recommendations into campaigns that influence decision-makers - Young Lives vs Cancer is recruiting a Campaigns and External Influencing Officer to strengthen its work on the issues affecting children and young people with cancer.

You’d help translate evidence-based policy positions into public-facing campaigns, coordinate influencing opportunities, and build relationships with other charities, policymakers and stakeholders. This would suit someone with some campaigning, communications or policy experience who wants to combine political influencing with a clear social purpose.

View the job and apply →

💼 Early-mid-career policy, research and public affairs

For people with some professional experience who want to develop their specialism or take on more responsibility.

4. Senior Public Affairs and Campaigns Officer — Money Advice Trust

📍 London or Birmingham / hybrid | 💰 £39,442 | ⏳ 3 November

Money Advice Trust, which runs National Debtline and Business Debtline, is recruiting someone to develop campaigns and public affairs activity aimed at improving outcomes for people in debt.

You’d build relationships with policymakers, regulators and charities, produce influencing materials and turn research and frontline evidence into practical policy recommendations and campaigns. The role also involves organising stakeholder events, monitoring political developments and identifying opportunities to influence government decisions.

Would suit someone with existing campaigns or public affairs experience who wants to combine political engagement with evidence-led social change.

View the job and apply →

5. Policy and Public Affairs Manager — BioIndustry Association

📍 London | 💰 £40,000 (dependent on experience) | ⏳ 2 November

A slightly different in-house policy role working at the intersection of science, innovation and industrial policy. The BioIndustry Association represents companies working in biotechnology and life sciences, and is recruiting someone to lead its policy and public affairs work on biosolutions and engineering biology.

You’d develop policy recommendations, engage with government and parliamentarians, and work directly with business leaders to understand the challenges facing the sector. Would suit someone with policy or public affairs experience who wants to specialise in science, tech and innovation.

View the job and apply →

6. Senior Campaigns Manager — Conservative Environment Network

📍 London | 💰 £43,001–£48,000 | ⏳ 9 November, 9am

Interested in environmental policy and how political movements develop their positions on climate change? The Conservative Environment Network is recruiting someone to lead campaigns promoting environmental policies across the centre-right.

You’d develop campaign strategies, work with parliamentarians, identify opportunities to influence legislation and parliamentary debates, and build support for the organisation’s policy proposals.

Would suit someone with established political campaigning experience, strong parliamentary knowledge and connections across conservative politics.

View the job and apply →

📈 Senior and leadership opportunities

7. Six Senior Project and Policy Officer vacancies — Greater London Authority

📍 London / hybrid | 💰 £58,217 | ⏳ 1 November, 11:59pm

The Greater London Authority is recruiting Senior Project and Policy Officers to work on some of London’s biggest social challenges, including rough sleeping, domestic abuse and supported housing.

The six positions are spread across three policy areas:

  • Three roles in rough sleeping, developing and delivering programmes to reduce homelessness in London.

  • Two roles in domestic abuse safe accommodation, helping ensure survivors and their children have access to suitable housing and support.

  • One role in specialist and supported housing, working on programmes for Londoners who face additional barriers to accessing appropriate accommodation.

Depending on the role, you’d help develop policies and programmes, commission services, manage funding and work with local authorities and charities to improve support for vulnerable Londoners.

Would suit someone with experience in social policy, housing or programme delivery who wants to see policy translate into practical changes on the ground.

View all six vacancies and apply →

8. UK Policy and Public Affairs Manager — Royal College of Occupational Therapists

📍 London / hybrid | 💰 Circa £59,000 | ⏳ 2 November, 9am

An opportunity to influence health and social care policy across all four UK nations.

The Royal College of Occupational Therapists is recruiting someone to lead its engagement with government, parliamentarians and policymakers, making the case for occupational therapy’s role in addressing major health and social care challenges.

You’d develop influencing strategies, produce policy briefings, coordinate parliamentary engagement and manage public affairs colleagues across the UK. The role also involves working with the organisation’s members to understand their priorities, build their advocacy skills and ensure the profession’s voice is heard in policy decisions.

View the job and apply →

9. Head of Communications and Campaigns — Runnymede Trust

📍 London / hybrid | 💰 £58,516 | ⏳ 9 November, 5pm

Interested in shaping the national conversation on race and inequality? The Runnymede Trust, one of the UK’s leading racial justice think tanks, is recruiting a Head of Communications and Campaigns to strengthen the impact of its research and policy work.

You’d lead the organisation’s communications strategy, manage its media and digital presence, oversee campaigns and work closely with researchers and senior leaders to ensure evidence reaches policymakers and the wider public.

Would suit someone with significant communications and campaigning experience who wants to influence public debate and help shape the direction of an established think tank.

View the job and apply →

10. Principal Policy Adviser, Digital Policy — Which?

📍 London / hybrid | 💰 £62,000–£64,000 | ⏳ 13 November, midday

Who should be responsible when AI and digital technologies cause harm to consumers?

Which? is recruiting a Principal Policy Adviser to lead work on digital markets, emerging technologies and consumer protection. You’d oversee research projects, develop policy recommendations on issues including AI and online harms, and engage with government, regulators and technology companies to influence change.

Would suit someone with substantial technology or digital policy experience who’s ready to take on a more senior policy leadership role.

View the job and apply →

🏛️ Civil Service vacancies

If you’re interested in working directly on government policy, here are four additional Civil Service vacancies worth looking at this week.

🗳️ Working for an MP

For anyone interested in parliamentary politics, there are also several vacancies across Labour, Conservative and Liberal Democrat MPs’ offices.

]]><![CDATA[I found 30 jobs in politics and policy so you don't have to (again)]]>https://danihpayne.substack.com/p/i-found-30-jobs-in-politics-and-policyhttps://danihpayne.substack.com/p/i-found-30-jobs-in-politics-and-policyTue, 20 Oct 2026 12:16:55 GMTWe’re back for week two of my roundup of the best (in my opinion) roles currently open across politics, policy, public affairs and civil society.

I’ve once again spent an unreasonable amount of my Sunday trawling through job boards so you don’t have to, and this week I’ve found 30 vacancies that should be on your radar if you’re job searching.

There’s quite a range this time, including six senior Special Adviser roles in No. 10, a paid Civil Service internship specifically for students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, research positions at some well-known think tanks, and opportunities in everything from healthcare to climate policy. Let’s get into it.

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1. Six senior Special Adviser roles — No. 10 Downing Street

📍 London / No. 10 North / Edinburgh (Scotland role) | 💰 £82k–£160k across Pay Bands 3–4 | ⏳ 30 October / 6 November

Fancy working directly for the Prime Minister? No. 10 is recruiting SIX senior Special Advisers to help shape government policy and advise the PM on some of the biggest issues facing the country.

The vacancies cover growth and macroeconomics, public control and the cost of living, work and pensions, security and migration, AI and society, and Scotland.

The six vacancies are:

Closing Friday 30 October:

  • Director of Growth & Macroeconomics — Pay Band 4 (£112,100–£160,000). Apply via email

  • Director of Public Control — Pay Band 4 (£112,100–£160,000). Apply via email

  • Work, Social Security & Pensions Special Adviser — Pay Band 3 (£81,650–£119,254). Apply via email

Closing Friday 6 November:

  • Director of Security, Justice & Migration — Pay Band 4 (£112,100–£160,000). Apply via email

  • Director of AI & Society — Pay Band 4 (£112,100–£160,000). Apply via email

  • Special Adviser for Scotland — Pay Band 3 (£81,650–£119,254). Apply via email

🌱 Entry-level / early-career opportunities

Graduate programmes, research roles and opportunities for people starting out or early on in policy.

2. Summer Internship Programme — Civil Service Fast Stream

📍 UK-wide | 💰 £475 per week | ⏳ 5 November, midday

Want to get some experience working in government while you’re still at university?

The Civil Service is recruiting for its paid Summer Internship Programme, specifically aimed at students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds.

You’ll spend eight weeks working in a government department, gaining experience in things like policy development, research and supporting major projects, with opportunities to shadow senior civil servants. You’ll also get access to a potential fast-tracked route into the Civil Service Fast Stream graduate programme.

The programme is open to undergraduates in their final two years of university, studying any degree subject, who meet the socioeconomic eligibility criteria and have or are predicted at least a 2:2.

Explore the internship and apply →

3. Researcher — Institute for Government

📍 London / hybrid | 💰 £34,000–£37,000 | ⏳ 1 November

An opportunity to get into the think tank world, with two research positions available at the IfG. You’d work in either the UK Government team, examining how Whitehall and Westminster operate, or the Public Services team, investigating why public services perform differently across the country.

The work combines qual and quant research, interviews with policymakers, report writing and media engagement. Great for someone early in their research career who wants to understand how government works and how it could work better.

View the vacancies and apply →

4. Associate Consultant — Beyond2050

📍 London | 💰 £31,000 | ⏳ 30 October

Interested in climate and energy policy, but not necessarily looking for a traditional research role? Beyond2050 is a public affairs consultancy specialising in hydrogen and the UK’s energy transition.

You’d monitor political developments, produce research and briefings for clients, support engagement with parliamentarians and help deliver campaigns and events.

A potential entry point into public affairs consultancy for someone interested in climate, energy or industrial policy. Some previous professional experience is required, although this can include work experience.

View the job and apply →

5. Public Affairs Officer — Groundwork UK

📍 Birmingham / hybrid | 💰 £32,034 | ⏳ 30 October

One for anyone interested in the intersection of environmental policy, social inequality and community development - Groundwork is recruiting a Public Affairs Officer to help deliver its new three-year influencing strategy.

You’d build relationships with politicians and policymakers, monitor political developments, prepare briefings and help local Groundwork organisations engage with decision-makers.

View the job and apply →

💼 Early-mid-career policy, research and public affairs

For people with some professional experience who want to develop their specialism or take on more responsibility.

6. Policy and Public Affairs Officer — Royal College of Anaesthetists

📍 London | 💰 £43,308 | ⏳ 1 November

You don’t need to be a doctor to influence healthcare policy!

The Royal College of Anaesthetists is recruiting someone to develop evidence-based policy proposals and influence decisions across government and the NHS. You’d analyse existing research, commission new evidence, develop consultation responses and produce briefings for policymakers. The organisation works on loads of issues including NHS workforce shortages and improving care before and after surgery.

This would be a great role for someone with existing policy experience who wants to specialise in healthcare.

View the job and apply →

7. Communications and Media Relations Manager — MCS

📍 London or Daresbury | 💰 £42,000 | ⏳ 30 October, 9am

A slightly different opportunity for anyone interested in political communications and the UK’s transition to clean energy working for MCS, who are involved in setting standards and certifying small-scale renewable energy technologies.

You’d lead communications campaigns, build relationships with journalists, develop messaging and support engagement with government, businesses and industry stakeholders. Would suit someone with established communications or media relations experience who wants to apply those skills to energy and environmental issues.

View the job and apply →

8. Senior Research Officer — Money and Mental Health Policy Institute

📍 London / hybrid or UK-wide remote | 💰 £43,752 FTE | ⏳ 9 November, 9am

A research role where the findings could make a real difference to people’s everyday lives. The Money and Mental Health Policy Institute, founded by Martin Lewis, is recruiting a Senior Research Officer to investigate the links between financial difficulties and mental health problems.

You’d undertake qualitative and quantitative research, produce reports and develop practical policy recommendations to improve people’s lives. Would suit someone with strong research and writing skills who wants to see their evidence influence policy and practice.

Amazingly no degree or specific qualifications are required, and the role can be worked remotely from anywhere in the UK, with occasional travel to London.

View the job and apply →

9. Senior Policy Advisor — Rainforest Foundation UK

📍 London / hybrid, or remote from France or DRC | 💰 £45,074 (UK salary) | ⏳ 2 November, 9am

An opportunity to work on international environmental policy, biodiversity and Indigenous peoples’ rights.

You’d help shape the charity’s policy and advocacy work in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, working with local organisations, international partners and policymakers on rainforest protection. The role combines policy development, stakeholder engagement and international advocacy, including work on the development of a major tropical forest reserve.

Would suit someone with policy or international development experience who enjoys working across organisations and countries.

View the job and apply →

📈 Senior and leadership opportunities

For people ready to manage projects, advise senior stakeholders or lead programmes of research and influencing.

10. Public Health Policy & Programme Officer — Southwark Council

📍 London | 💰 £51,831–£59,394 | ⏳ 1 November

An interesting example of how policy work in local government can look quite different from Westminster. You’d lead projects examining how housing, planning and the built environment affect people’s health, developing programmes to improve local environments and reduce health inequalities.

The role involves working across council departments, the NHS and community organisations, combining policy development with programme delivery and evaluation. Would suit someone with substantial public health experience who wants to translate evidence into practical changes at a local level.

View the job and apply →

11. Head of Research: Skills and Better Work — Learning and Work Institute

📍 London or Leicester / hybrid | 💰 £47,250–£61,150 | ⏳ 23 October

For more experienced policy researchers interested in employment, education and skills, this is worth a look. The Learning and Work Institute is creating a new position to lead research on lifelong learning, skills development and progression into better work.

You’d develop research projects, manage researchers, secure funding and work with policymakers to translate findings into practical recommendations. Particularly interesting for someone ready to move beyond delivering individual research projects and take responsibility for shaping a wider programme of work.

View the job and apply →

🏛️ Civil Service vacancies

If you’re interested in working directly on government policy, here are another six vacancies I spotted this week that I think look particularly interesting.

🗳️ Working for an MP

For anyone interested in working more directly in parliamentary politics, I’ve also spotted a few policy-related vacancies across MPs’ offices.

That’s it for this week. If you’ve found these roundups helpful, please do subscribe to get them straight to your inbox.

And as always, good luck if you’re applying for anything this week!

]]><![CDATA[I found 20+ jobs in politics and policy so you don't have to]]>https://danihpayne.substack.com/p/i-found-20-jobs-in-politics-and-policyhttps://danihpayne.substack.com/p/i-found-20-jobs-in-politics-and-policyMon, 12 Oct 2026 15:05:54 GMTIf you’ve ever tried to find a job in politics or policy, you’ll know that half the battle is actually finding the vacancies. There isn’t really one place to look, and some of the most interesting jobs are advertised on websites most people have never heard of. Certainly when I ended up applying to work in a think tank it was via an advert I found entirely by accident rather than a strategic job search.

For over a year now I’ve been sharing weekly roundups of what I think are the best jobs in politics, policy and public affairs currently open over on TikTok and Instagram. And now I’ve decided it’s about time I bring it to Substack. Partly because I can include more opportunities, but mostly because it means you can actually click on the job ads. Revolutionary, I know!

I’ve grouped this week’s opportunities roughly by career stage, although these aren’t hard-and-fast categories. There’s a mixture of think tanks, charities, consultancies, membership organisations, local government and the Civil Service, with jobs across different parts of the UK. And, as always, a roundup of the parliamentary jobs going at the end.

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🌱 Entry level / early-career opportunities

Graduate programmes, research roles and opportunities for people starting out or early on in policy.

1. Policy and Public Affairs Officer — Centre for Young Lives

📍 London | 💰 £30,867 | ⏳ 1 November

For anyone trying to break into children’s policy, this could be an interesting first or second job.

You’d support research and campaigns aimed at improving outcomes for children and young people, develop policy proposals, engage stakeholders across Westminster and contribute to parliamentary activity.

It combines policy development, research and public affairs, so would suit someone relatively early in their career who wants experience across several parts of the policymaking process.

Also worth knowing: The Centre is recruiting for four other positions: Policy and Research Officer, Data Analyst, Policy and Research Manager, and Events Officer, with full-time salaries ranging from approximately £31k to £44k.

View vacancies and apply →

2. Multiple early-career opportunities — PF Global

📍 London / hybrid | 💰 £14.80/hour–£35,000 | ⏳ Various deadlines

Interested in getting into public affairs or policy consultancy? PF Global (the recently rebranded Public First) is recruiting for several entry-level and early-career positions across its teams.

There are three roles worth looking at:

  • Intern – Corporate Affairs — £14.80/hour (London Living Wage). A paid six-month internship involving political monitoring, research, stakeholder engagement and campaign delivery, with the potential to progress into a permanent Analyst role. Rolling applications.

  • Policy Analyst – Education & Skills — £31,000–£34,000. You’d work on research and policy projects relating to education, apprenticeships and skills, combining analysis with client-facing consultancy work. Closes 30 October.

  • Analyst – Corporate Affairs — £31,000–£35,000. A mixture of political research, monitoring, stakeholder engagement and communications for clients navigating the political and regulatory environment. Rolling applications.

These could be particularly interesting for people who want to build experience working across different policy areas and organisations rather than specialising in one issue straight away.

3. Research Officer — Kinship

📍 London / hybrid | 💰 £34,491–£37,491 | ⏳ 19 October

One for the social researchers, particularly anyone interested in children’s social care and family policy.

You’d work across qualitative, quantitative and participatory research exploring the experiences of kinship families, including surveys, interviews, focus groups and data analysis.

Projects include the charity’s annual survey of kinship carers and its first national survey of children and young people in kinship care.

Would suit someone early in their research career who wants to develop their methodological skills while producing evidence that feeds into policy and campaigning.

View the job and apply →

4. Evidence Engagement Officer — The National Lottery Community Fund

📍 Belfast preferred / hybrid | 💰 £27,000–£32,000 nationally | ⏳ 18 October

Not all research jobs involve producing reports for publication, and this one is more about making sure evidence actually gets used.

You’d work with the National Lottery Community Fund’s Northern Ireland team to help colleagues understand community needs, use data and research more effectively, and make better-informed funding decisions.

You’d analyse information, produce accessible evidence summaries and support colleagues to use data dashboards and other analytical tools.

Would suit someone with research, evaluation or policy experience who enjoys turning complicated evidence into practical insights. The role is a 12-month fixed-term contract, with other UK locations potentially considered.

View the job and apply →

5. Civil Service Fast Stream — 2027 Entry

📍 UK-wide | 💰 £31,554 starting salary | ⏳ 5 November, midday

The Civil Service Fast Stream has just opened for applications!

One of the UK’s best-known graduate programmes, it offers the chance to work across different government departments, gaining experience in everything from developing national policy to delivering public services.

There are 18 different schemes, including government policy, diplomacy, economics, digital and social research, with structured training and opportunities to work across the UK.

Despite being a graduate scheme, you don’t need to be a recent graduate to apply, making it worth considering for career changers too. Most schemes accept a 2:2 degree or above, although eligibility varies.

Explore the schemes and apply →

💼 Early-mid-career policy, research and public affairs

For people with some professional experience who want to develop their specialism or take on more responsibility.

6. Policy and Public Affairs Officer — National Pharmacy Association

📍 St Albans / hybrid | 💰 £35,000–£38,000 | ⏳ 23 October

An in-house policy and public affairs role working on some fairly big questions about the future of community healthcare.

You’d help represent independent pharmacies to government and Parliament, monitor policy developments, produce briefings and coordinate research, consultations and stakeholder engagement.

There’s also a membership side, working with pharmacies to understand their priorities and turn these into policy positions.

Would suit someone with some policy or public affairs experience who wants to specialise in healthcare policy.

View the job and apply →

7. Strategy and Policy Officer — South Lanarkshire Council

📍 Hamilton, Scotland | 💰 £42,228–£48,633 | ⏳ 18 October

Looking for a policy role outside of Westminster?

This role focuses on housing and homelessness policy within South Lanarkshire Council. You’d research and evaluate existing policies, develop strategies and plans, prepare reports and briefings for senior managers and elected members, and work with partners to improve local services.

There’s a practical side to this one, helping translate policy into changes in how housing services operate.

Would suit someone with policy or research experience and an interest in housing, homelessness or local government.

View the job and apply →

8. Senior Researcher on Race Equity — British Future

📍 London / hybrid | 💰 £42,000 | ⏳ 2 November

If you enjoy research and want to use your skills to ensure evidence influences political debate, this role combines both.

You’d lead a major Nuffield-funded research project examining race equity in the UK, designing and delivering surveys, focus groups and interviews, analysing findings and producing reports for policymakers.

The next phase focuses on young people’s experiences and aspirations, with further public attitudes research planned ahead of future elections.

Would suit someone with substantial quantitative and qualitative research experience who is ready to take ownership of a major project.

View the job and apply →

9. Senior Public Affairs and Policy Manager — University Alliance

📍 Hybrid / London | 💰 Circa £43,000 | ⏳ 25 October

For people interested in higher education policy, this combines substantive policy development with political influencing.

You’d be leading parliamentary engagement for a membership body representing 20 universities, developing policy positions on international higher education, admissions and student recruitment, and contributing to wider debates around university funding and regulation.

You’d also work directly with university leaders and represent members’ interests to policymakers.

Would suit someone with existing policy or public affairs experience who wants more responsibility for developing policy positions and influencing government.

The role is relatively flexible on location, with a contractual requirement of at least two days per month in London, although around one day per week is expected in practice.

View the job and apply →

📈 Senior and leadership opportunities

For people ready to manage projects, advise senior stakeholders or lead programmes of research and influencing.

10. Senior Policy Manager – Tech Policy & Public Affairs — PF Global

📍 London | 💰 £46,000–£57,000 | ⏳ 23 October

Interested in the intersection of technology, politics and public affairs?

This role involves advising clients on technology policy, developing policy proposals, monitoring political and regulatory developments, and preparing evidence for government consultations and select committees.

You’ll also manage client relationships and mentor junior colleagues.

A good opportunity for someone with established policy or public affairs experience who wants to take on more responsibility for shaping strategy and advising organisations on complex political issues.

View the job and apply →

11. Associate Director – Schools — PF Global

📍 London / hybrid | 💰 £62,000–£75,000 | ⏳ 26 October

Another opportunity at PF Global, this time for someone with substantial experience in education policy, public affairs or research.

The Associate Director would help lead the company’s work on schools policy, overseeing research and consultancy projects, advising clients and developing relationships with stakeholders across the education sector and government.

Alongside delivering existing projects, there’s a business development side to the role, helping to identify new opportunities and grow the organisation’s work in this area.

Would suit someone with established education policy expertise who is interested in moving into a more senior, strategic role within consultancy.

View the job and apply →

12. Associate Director, Digital Policy — Demos

📍 London | 💰 £52,973–£69,273 | ⏳ 26 October, 9am

A more senior opportunity for someone ready to shape a think tank’s research and policy agenda.

Demos is recruiting an Associate Director to lead its work on digital democracy and the information environment, exploring how policy can help build a healthier and more resilient democratic system.

You’ll develop new policy ideas, build relationships across government, business and civil society, secure funding and manage a small team.

Would suit someone with significant digital policy experience, strong political networks and an interest in leading an influential programme of research.

View the job and apply →

🏛️ Civil Service vacancies

If you’re interested in working directly on government policy, these are some vacancies I spotted this week that I think look particularly interesting.

🗳️ Working for an MP

For anyone interested in working more directly in parliamentary politics, I’ve also spotted a few vacancies across different MPs’ offices:

A final note

I’m hoping to get into using Substack more regularly in general - including making these roundups a weekly occurrence, and maybe even sharing some of my own policy thoughts...

For these roundups, my aim is to include a mixture of organisations, policy areas and locations, and not just the most obvious Westminster jobs. There are plenty of ways to work in and around politics without working for an MP or in Whitehall. If you’re hiring for a policy, politics or research role that you think readers might be interested in, feel free to send it my way for a future edition.

And, of course, if you find these roundups useful, you can subscribe to get future editions straight to your inbox.

Good luck if you’re applying for anything this week!

Thanks for reading! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

]]><![CDATA[How do you fix a problem like student loans?]]>https://danihpayne.substack.com/p/how-do-you-fix-a-problem-like-studenthttps://danihpayne.substack.com/p/how-do-you-fix-a-problem-like-studentFri, 20 Mar 2026 13:33:31 GMT

tl;dr:

  • The debate over England’s Plan 2 student loan system intensified after the government announced a freeze to the repayment threshold, a move that raises repayments for many graduates and has sparked a broader political backlash over interest rates, rising loan balances and the perceived fairness of the system.

  • In response, a range of proposals for change have emerged from across the political spectrum - cutting interest rates, raising repayment thresholds, or reducing repayment rates - but many of these options come with large fiscal costs or distributional effects that primarily benefit higher earners.

  • While the interest rate has attracted the most attention, the current system also faces wider challenges: fiscal drag pulling lower earners into repayment, cost-of-living pressures on graduates, growing concerns about the financial return to some degrees, and structural inequalities around maintenance support.

  • In considering reform, policymakers must balance three key objectives: reducing monthly repayment pressures for low- and middle-earning graduates, maintaining a progressive system where higher earners contribute more, and ensuring that students from disadvantaged backgrounds can still afford to access higher education – an issue largely ignored so far in this debate.

  • We argue that reform should focus on reducing monthly repayments for low and middle earners, maintaining progressive contributions from higher earners, and restoring adequate maintenance support for disadvantaged students. This could be funded via a tiered/stepped repayment model and/or an extension of the loan term.

Our view on student loan reform:

In November 2025 the Chancellor, Rachel Reeves, snuck a freezing of the plan 2 student loan repayment threshold into her budget. Under “making the tax system fairer and fit for the 21st century”, the Budget 2025 document stated that the government would freeze the salary level at which graduates have to start repaying their student loan for three years from 2027.[1] While not technically a tax rise, this change was one of the larger revenue-raising strategies in the budget, increasing cash receipts by £0.4bn a year and causing a one-off reduction in borrowing of £5.6bn.[2] The announcement was one single line in the Chancellor’s speech, and largely went unnoticed in mainstream media coverage at the time. We put out a statement on the freeze, warning of the risk to social mobility caused by pulling more lower and middle earners into repaying towards a degree that they have not yet felt the financial benefit of, but it was not until January 2026 that the debate really took off.

Now the debate around Plan 2 student loans is inescapable. What began as niche discussions among policy wonks has spilled into mainstream media, breakfast television and social media feeds. While originally focused on the repayment threshold freeze, this has sparked broader criticisms of the student loan repayment system, and in particular the interest rates. Graduates are posting screenshots of their loan balances rising despite already repaying back thousands, and student groups are protesting outside parliament describing government as loan sharks. Campaigners argue that the system is broken, or even a scam, the next mis-selling scandal. And despite the Chancellor previously defending the system as “fair”, politicians, sensing a live political issue, have begun floating different options for reform.

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Even if ministers themselves are skeptical of reforms being proposed, the politics may push them towards action. Over the past decade, education has emerged as one of the most powerful political dividing lines in Britain, and graduates have tended to disproportionately vote for socially liberal parties, particularly Labour. At the same time, graduates are becoming a much larger share of the electorate: twenty years ago school leavers outnumbered grads roughly three to one, whereas today the groups are close to parity, and among younger cohorts of voters grads already dominate. By the next election, if current trends continue, most constituencies contested will have more graduates than school leavers, meaning that governments will likely find it increasingly hard to ignore the concerns of this large, politically engaged group of voters.[3] Graduates now make up a growing share of MPs, advisers and journalists, and many of the new intake graduates will be on a Plan 2 loan, which is likely to contribute to why and how this issue has risen so quickly up the political and media agenda. However, we should be careful to ensure that this does not influence how the conversation is framed, with much of the focus centering on issues like interest rates and higher balances, issues that are most salient to higher-earning graduates, rather than on the pressures facing lower earners or the structural problems in the system such as maintenance support.

But before policymakers rush to fix the current system, it is worth pausing to understand how and why it was designed this way in the first place. The English student finance system was never intended to function like a conventional loan. In practice, it operates much more like a time-limited graduate tax. Repayments are determined almost entirely by income rather than the amount borrowed; those earning below the threshold repay nothing; and any remaining balance is wiped off after a fixed period (30 years for Plan 2).

What are the criticisms of the current system?

Repayment threshold freeze

The freeze to the repayment threshold for plan 2 student loans was the initial catalyst for criticisms of the system. Under Plan 2, graduates repay 9% of earnings above a threshold currently set at £28,470 per year (below the London living wage). This will increase to £29,385 in April, before being frozen for three years.

Freezing the threshold effectively increases repayments each year in real terms as wages rise. Over time, this pulls more lower- and middle-earning graduates into repayments and increases the share of income that they contribute, a classic case of fiscal drag. This has taken what was reportedly marketed to some graduates as a repayment akin to a mobile phone bill to repayments that in reality can be in the hundreds of pounds each month.[4] Financial Times analysis highlights that this, in combination with rises to the minimum wage, could mean that by 2030 a graduate earning minimum wage has to start repaying their student loan.[5] As graduates are having to start repaying earlier in their earnings trajectory, this raises questions about whether the original principle of the system – that they only start to repay once they’re financially benefitting from their degree – still holds up in practice. Indeed, it is potentially in part because recent changes to repayment thresholds make the system feel less like a graduate tax (as repayment start before graduate pay gains have been realised) that pushback against the system has grown.

Interest rates

The second major criticism of the current system is the interest rate charged on Plan 2 loans, which is set at RPI plus up to 3% depending on income. The high interest rate does not impact on the amount repaid monthly – which is based on income, not the principal balance – but does result in many middle and high earning graduates seeing their balances grow despite making substantial contributions, making the system feel much more like a tax or graduate contribution system than a traditional loan. There has also been criticism that RPI is the measure of inflation being used rather than CPI, which is a lower measure of inflation, and the measure more widely used by government. Interest is also charged during study and during maternity and other types of parental leave (with on average a disproportionate impact on the balances of female graduates), when repayments are not being made.

However, it’s important to note that this high interest is what makes the Plan 2 system more progressive than the previous Plan 1 (pre-2012) and subsequent Plan 5 loans (new undergraduates from 2023/24), ensuring that higher earners continue to contribute throughout most of their working lives. Any reduction in the interest would exclusively benefit higher earners while having no impact on monthly affordability.

Cost of living pressures and the perceived financial returns to a degree

The criticisms around the Plan 2 loan system also cannot be separated from a much broader conversation about whether university is still “worth it”. On average, graduates in the UK continue to earn significantly more than non-graduates over their lifetime and are less likely to be unemployed, resulting in a substantial graduate earnings premium. However, that premium has been gradually eroding, particularly outside London, since the 90s, and is now smaller than in other comparable countries such as the US, Canada, Netherlands, France and Spain.[6] Recent analysis by the Institute for Fiscal Studies suggests that, while the average graduate still earns more than a non-graduate, the size of that advantage varies dramatically depending on subject studied, institution and region.[7]

At the same time, the wider economic context has become far less favourable for young workers. The UK has experienced a decade of weak productivity growth, sluggish real wage increases and high housing and childcare costs. For many graduates, particularly those living in major cities where professional jobs are concentrated, that premium is no longer sufficient to translate into the standard of living they may have been expecting when they chose to go to university, and indeed may lead some to have a lower standard of living than they would have had if they had not gone to university at all. Concerns about student loans are increasingly intertwined with a wider generational frustration about stagnant living standards, and repayments can feel less like a manageable contribution linked to a clear financial benefit and more like an additional pressure on already stretched household finances.

Socioeconomic disparities within the system

Finally, and of greatest concern to us, are several structural inequalities within the system itself. There are two significant parts of the system that create a socioeconomic unfairness: firstly, that the wealthiest can opt-out of what essentially functions more like a tax than a loan by paying up front, and secondly, that the most disadvantaged students graduate with far more debt.

Under Plan 2, a student who had to take out the maximum maintenance loans would have graduated with approximately double the amount of student debt than a fellow student who had parental support - more if they had studied in London, where social mobility returns to degrees tend to be higher. That means that if two students graduate from the same course, with the same marks, and go on to earn the same pay throughout their careers, if they earn enough to fully pay back their loan, the student from a lower socio-economic background will ultimately end up paying back more for their degree than the same student from a better-off background who was able to borrow less.

Meanwhile, data from 2016/2017 suggests that around 10% of students avoid graduate repayments entirely by paying fees upfront (with no available update of these figures).[8] In the 2023-24 academic year, 6.7% of full time undergraduates accessing England’s Student Loans Company only took out a tuition loan, and did not borrow any money for maintenance. [9]

The government’s announcement to bring back maintenance grants was a welcome signal of intent, but in practice, because the new grants are not fully additional to loans, many students will receive only around £375 extra per year, and only in a limited range of subjects.[10] Furthermore, these grants will not be sufficient to offset the gradual erosion of the value of maintenance over several years. For the most part the amount of maintenance has not risen with inflation, and the household earnings thresholds (which determine if and how much you would be eligible for) has also not risen since 2008. Despite substantial wage growth in that time, the threshold at which a student would be eligible for the full maintenance package still sits at £25,000, which would be over £40,000 today if it had been uprated. The re-introduction of grants is a modest gesture in the context of living costs that routinely leave students in financial hardship, and it does very little to address the structural imbalance whereby those with the least family wealth leave with the most debt.

All of this helps explain why the Plan 2 system has suddenly become such a potent political issue. But it also raises a more difficult question: if the current system is politically unsustainable, what exactly should replace it, and who would ultimately pay the cost? Some of the commonly proposed reforms would have consequences very different from those their advocates intend. In many cases, policies framed as helping struggling grads would primarily benefit the highest earners, and the risk is that this cost is then shifted elsewhere in the system, either onto lower and middle earning grads or on to non-university-goers via general taxation.

The Social Market Foundation view on reform

When looking at changes to the student loans system, in our view government should prioritise the following:

Reducing monthly re-payments for low and middle earners

The monthly repayment rate is what makes the biggest difference to graduates, by putting more money back in their pockets each month. Reducing these repayments could help many graduates dealing with the high cost of housing, alongside some high childcare costs – which when put together with student loan repayments are contributing to a major cost of living squeeze for this group.

Increasing the repayment threshold in line with inflation would both help ease these pressures, while also keeping one of the core tenants of the student loans system – that graduates should only contribute to the cost of their university degree from the additional earnings they have due to that degree. Whereas currently, the current repayment threshold freeze looks set to put the threshold only slightly above the minimum wage. That is arguably breaking the fundamental contract that graduates made with the state when taking out their loans.

Changes should be progressive overall

While interest rates have had arguably the most coverage in the ongoing student loan debate, reducing them would only serve to take higher earners out of repayments sooner, reducing their contributions overall. This is essentially what the Conservative government did when changing to Plan 5 in 2023 – removing the up to +3% of the interest and charging RPI only. The result was that the highest earners and men repaid less, and women and lower earners repaid more.[11] Reducing interest rates overall should not be the priority for government.

However, some changes to the interest charged is very much needed to tackle some of the existing inequalities in the system, particularly for women. Interest should not be applied on loans during maternity, paternity or shared parental leave, so that parents (and particularly mothers) taking time out of the workforce are not penalised through the loan system. And if government does wish to tackle the criticisms of higher earners repaying back more than they borrowed, the suggestion in the 2019 review of post-18 funding to cap the amount repaid at 1.5 times what someone borrows may be a fairer initiative to consider than reducing interest for the higher end of earners.

Government must ensure students from all backgrounds can afford to go into higher education

The erosion of student maintenance is one of the most worrying but under covered elements of the existing student loan system, with the real concern that maintenance levels have been eroded to such an extent that many young people from lower socio-economic backgrounds will simply be unable to go onto HE. Even for those who can attend, they are likely to have to work long hours to supplement their income, and may have to remain at home, limiting their course and institutional choices. There is a risk we have a two-tier system emerging in England, whereby university experiences differ substantially dependent on the money a student has available to them. This should be seen as a major issue by policymakers and urgently needs to be addressed.

Government should also priorities a wider re-introduction of maintenance grants, to end the unfairness in the existing system of students from lower income backgrounds taking on the highest debt burden.

In the next section, we look at some of the existing proposals for reform, and how well they meet the objectives outlined above:

Other proposals:

Conservatives

Proposal: Reduce interest to RPI only

Cost: £4bn for just the 2022/23 cohort [12]

Who benefits?: Middle and high earners in their 40s and 50s

Who loses out?: Potential for cost to be shifted on to lower earners, as with Plan 5, or a reduction in university places or maintenance support, which would likely reduce access for those from lower socioeconomic backgrounds

SMF rating: 0/3 – this proposal would not reduce monthly repayments for low and middle earners, the distributional effects are regressive and it does not address the issue of the cost of higher education attendance.

Lib Dems

Proposal: Increase repayment threshold in line with wage growth

Cost: £3bn for just the 2022/23 cohort [13]

Who benefits?: Any Plan 2 holder who is earning enough to repay would repay less each month, a reduction of £8,000 on average over a graduates’ lifetime

Who loses out?: High earners will pay very slightly more, as paying less each month keeps balances high and reduces the likelihood of being able to pay off in full (however they could make overpayments to offset this if they wished)

SMF rating: 2/3 – this would reduce monthly repayments for lower and middle earners and the distributional effects are progressive, however does not address the issue of the cost of higher education or the additional debt lower income students take on.

Plan 2 Campaign Groups

Proposal: Raise repayment threshold (initially to £31,200 and then with earnings growth), lower interest rates (RPI+3% to CPI only) and lower the repayment rate (9% to 5%)

Cost: £12bn just for the 2022/23 cohort [14]

Who would benefit?: Everyone would pay less - both in terms of monthly repayments and over their lifetime - under this system. The average Plan 2 holder would repay £28,000 less over their lifetime.

Who would lose out?: The overall cost for all effected cohorts could be in the region of £60-70bn, which would be recorded as a significant one-off increase in capital spending and government borrowing, and a longer-term impact of lower repayment receipts to government for the next 30 years. Possibility of this being funded or offset by a reduction in university places, and/or shifting the cost on to general taxation or reduction in other public service investments.

SMF rating: 0/3 – while these changes would be of substantial benefit to low and middle earners we do not deem the cost to be fiscally realistic, and would be concerned about the potential of government shifting these costs either on to general taxation or by reducing university places.

Other proposals have also been made by various groups. The Good Growth Foundation has proposed raising the salary threshold at which repayments start, although has not specified to what level, and has proposed cutting the amount repaid over the threshold from 9% to 6%. They say this would save Plan 2 loan holders £400 a year, and it has been reported that some Labour MPs are supportive of this model.[15]

Other Labour MPs have proposed reducing the repayment rate from 9% to 5%, and that this could be funded by spreading repayments over a longer period. The result would be to reduce lifetime repayments for low earners, and increase them for some high earners, particularly those with large outstanding loans.[16]

What should the government do?

Our view is that government does need to reduce the monthly cost to low and middle earning graduates, but that this must be progressive in nature. Government should be cautious about pursuing changes which may alleviate some of the psychological cost while having minimal or no impact on the actual finances of most graduates, while making the system more regressive overall (as is the case with reducing interest on higher earners). We also think that any changes to the student finance system must also consider the cost to disadvantaged students in accessing higher education in the first place, and in addressing the additional debt burden that these students face. Therefore, we think government should:

1. Reduce monthly repayments for low and middle earning graduates, for example by increasing the repayment threshold in line with wage inflation

2. Retain the high interest rate on higher earners as to do otherwise would make the system more regressive, however they could consider either changing RPI to CPI and/or capping the amount repaid at 1.5 times what is borrowed to restore trust in the system

3. Make higher education affordable for disadvantaged students, by increasing maintenance in line with inflation, uprating household salary thresholds in line with wage growth and restoring grants to their original level

In 2024, a team at the Sutton Trust (including one of the authors of this piece) looked at options to reform the Plan 5 maintenance and repayment system to make it fairer for lower income students, as well as making more money available to them while they study. As part of this work, London Economics also modelled potential changes to the repayment system to make an increase in maintenance cost neutral to the exchequer.

They modelled tiered/stepped repayment thresholds to reduce payments for lower and middle earners, whereby repayments start at 2% over the threshold and rise to 8% for higher earners, alongside a reintroduction of real interest rates. At the time, these changes were modelled as cost neutral to the exchequer. A combination of changes like this could be used to bring down repayments for lower and middle income earners, particularly for Plan 5 loans where interest rates are lower, leaving space to increase repayments from higher earners to cover the cost. For Plan 2 holders, if government is looking to reduce repayments (with the associated costs of that), a stepped repayment model of this type would be a fairer way to reduce costs than lowering interest rates, which would only benefit higher earners. Similarly, if funding is to go into the system, we would also urge government to look at options for increasing maintenance loans as a priority.

The student loan issue is unlikely to go away any time soon, and it is likely the government will eventually be forced into action. When deciding how to reform the system, it must not allow louder – and typically better-off - voices to dominate, but instead look at the system as a whole, and the principle of fair access it was originally designed on.

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[1] https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/budget-2025-document/budget-2025-html

[2] https://obr.uk/docs/dlm_uploads/OBR_Economic_and_fiscal_outlook_November_2025.pdf

[3] https://www.smf.co.uk/publications/degrees-of-separation/

[4] https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cy5706ep1l3o

[5] https://www.ft.com/content/13a07318-c206-4ab4-8782-7cf13b9e3c2c

[6] https://www.ft.com/content/570d23b3-d286-4cb9-a319-b49cc4056f52 & https://www.ft.com/content/649d3c64-b8e5-4979-9f0c-9aebd43642e2

[7] https://ifs.org.uk/news/most-students-get-big-pay-going-university-some-would-be-better-financially-if-they-hadnt-done

[8]https://www.if.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Escape-of-the-Wealthy_Jan_2019_final-1.pdf

[9] https://wonkhe.com/blogs/student-loans-company-data-on-fees-and-maintenance-2023-24/

[10] https://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/SN00916/SN00916.pdf

[11] https://londoneconomics.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/LE-Nuffield-Foundation-HE-fees-and-Funding-Party-manifesto-analyses-FINAL.pdf

[12] https://ifs.org.uk/publications/options-changing-plan-2-student-loans-costs-benefits-and-distributional-effects

[13] https://ifs.org.uk/publications/options-changing-plan-2-student-loans-costs-benefits-and-distributional-effects

[14] https://ifs.org.uk/publications/options-changing-plan-2-student-loans-costs-benefits-and-distributional-effects

[15] https:/www.telegraph.co.uk/money/jobs/schools-universities/student-loan-reforms-labour-mps-ba/

[16] https://ifs.org.uk/publications/options-changing-plan-2-student-loans-costs-benefits-and-distributional-effects

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