"Obviously it is up to the next government to decide how much it wants to spend on public services and welfare benefits, but these diverging trends look unbalanced, and possibly unsustainable."

In a summary the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) condemns both Conservatives and LibDems on family and child tax credits.

Personally I find it incredible that a family earning £30/50,000 per annum cannot support themselves without state aid? I appreciate that statement may be forth howls of protest, but - sheesh!