The NHS Test and Trace app was not the third most expensive project in history
An inaccurate claim regarding the cost of the NHS Covid-19 app has been recirculating on social media. Read
Fact checks
Hannah Smith
Senior Political Journalist
Hannah joined Full Fact as a fact checker in May 2022. Before that she wrote news and features for UNILAD. She is a qualified journalist, and also has a degree in history.
Economy, Business & Finance
National Insurance contributions don’t determine how much is spent on health and welfare
Money raised through National Insurance is notionally separate from other tax revenue. But it doesn’t determine the amount of money which is spent on the NHS or social security. Read
Fact checks
Crime
What do we know about knife crime levels since 2010?
A figure used by Home Office minister Chris Philp isn’t necessarily the most useful indicator of knife crime trends. Read
Fact checks
Economy, Business & Finance
Government borrowing is not forecast to increase year on year
Shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves claimed that government borrowing “goes up in every year” of the OBR’s latest forecast published this week. Read
Fact checks
Economy, Business & Finance
How has disposable income changed since 2010?
Disposable household income has increased in real terms under the Conservative party, but it’s also true that real income growth has been weaker than levels seen under the last Labour government. Read
Fact checks
It’s not true that ‘lost’ tax revenue is 360 times greater than benefit fraud
An annotation suggesting that a graph shows tax evasion, avoidance and non-collection costs the government 360 times more than benefit fraud is incorrect. Read
Fact checks
Economy, Business & Finance
Overall GDP hasn’t had ‘seven consecutive quarters of no growth’
Labour MP Sarah Owen’s claim at Prime Minister’s Questions isn’t true of GDP overall. She was referring to GDP per capita instead, though she didn’t specify this at the time. Read
Fact checks
London council tax as a whole isn’t 71% higher than it was when Sadiq Khan took office
Only the mayor’s portion of council tax in London has increased by 71% in this time. Council tax as a whole has risen, but not by as much. Read
Fact checks
Council tax law does not provide exemptions for homes with prayer rooms
An old myth that Muslims can be exempted from paying council tax if they have a prayer room in their home has been re-circulating online. Read
Fact checks
Video does not show a British-registered ship sinking after Houthi attack
Footage claiming to show a ship sinking after being targeted by “Yemeni armed forces” actually shows the scuttling of a ship off the coast of Brazil in 2020. Read
Fact checks
