The UK’s independent fiscal watchdog has launched a short online survey asking users how they find and use content on its website, including economic forecasts and Budget analysis.
The Office for Budget Responsibility has put out a public call for feedback on its website, obr.uk, asking users to share their views on finding information, navigation, accessibility and usability. The OBR — funded by HM Treasury but operating independently — produces at least two official economic and fiscal forecasts per financial year, covering GDP growth, inflation, public sector borrowing and debt, and its website is the primary route through which that analysis reaches the public.
It’s not the first time the watchdog has sought this kind of input. The OBR previously ran user surveys on its Economic and Fiscal Outlook publications over an 18-month period, gathering views on length, content and accessibility. The figures and detailed response rates from those earlier surveys haven’t been published in accessible official summaries, so direct comparisons with the current exercise aren’t possible.
For Kent, the practical stakes are real. Local authorities including Kent County Council and district councils draw on OBR forecasts when preparing budgets and economic strategies. Businesses across the county — from SMEs to larger employers — may use the watchdog’s projections on inflation and public spending to inform hiring and investment decisions. And institutions such as the University of Kent and Canterbury Christ Church University use OBR data in economics and public policy teaching and research.
Better website usability won’t change what the OBR publishes. But it could change who can actually use it.
Some policy analysts, including those at the Resolution Foundation and the Institute for Government, have argued the OBR should have more resources and potentially adjusted publication practices to strengthen independent access to its analysis — though those are broader structural questions well beyond the scope of a website survey. Users who want to contribute feedback outside the survey can also contact the OBR directly at webfeedback@obr.uk.
Key information
- Complete the survey via the link posted by @OBR_UK on its official social media channels
- Alternative feedback route: email webfeedback@obr.uk directly with comments on OBR website content or usability
- OBR postal address: 102 Petty France, London, for written correspondence
Source: @OBR_UK