Explainers and other analysis to deal with misunderstood topics and translate complexity into clarity.
The Telegraph claimed over the weekend that 'new figures' revealed that over half of those found fit for work after claiming sickness benefits were finding jobs. We found that this was neither new nor accurate. Read
Several papers commented upon new figures showing the duration and reason for various incapacity and disability benefit claims. But have they given us the full picture? Read
On Friday, the Daily Mail and the Daily Express reported that, on average, a third of the income of a retired household is being sucked away by the taxman. Overall, … Read
Health
On Wednesday we published a Factcheck on a number of claims made in the media about NHS sickness absences. One such claim was that the number of sickness days taken … Read
Education
Commenting on the 'crisis in maths teaching' in yesterday's Guardian, Matt Parker claimed that about a quarter of secondary school maths classes are taught by non-maths teachers. Do his figures add up or should he be made to stand in the corner? Read
The Minister for Sport and Olympics has recently claimed that an additional 500,000 Britons have taken up cycling since the golden touch of GB's Cycling Team at the Beijing Olympics in 2008. But is this true? Read
Education
Today the front page of the Daily Mail led with a claim that 90 primary pupils a day are sent home for violence in class. But where is this statistic coming from? Read
Economy, Business & Finance
Following the release of bleak economic statistics, some commentators have again claimed that the UK and Italy are the only G20 countries in a 'double-dip' recession. Is this right, and is it the best measure we can use? Read
It was claimed today that NHS employees took an average of 15 days off sick last year with ambulance staff being particularly prone to absence. This was juxtaposed with a claim that the average private sector worker misses just six days a year due to sickness. Do the facts support the claim? Read
Economy, Business & Finance
The finger is being pointed this week at 2 million people who are supposedly costing the Treasury over £2 billion through 'cash-in-hand' payments which aren't subject to tax. Full Fact took a more in-depth look at the reasoning behind the numbers. Read
