Is it really impossible to do an economic analysis of the impact of Covid tiers?

The government claims it can’t do a cost-benefit analysis of coronavirus restrictions because of the uncertainty involved. Ben Chu looks into whether that stands up to scrutiny

A cost-benefit analysis traditionally weighs up the costs of a particular policy action with its benefits – yet the government has resisted doing one for coronavirus restrictions (Getty)

The government’s decision to put much of the country into more restrictive Covid tiers after the end of lockdown on 2 December has led to demands for ministers to release a formal economic impact assessment of the policy.

And the Covid Recovery Group – a group of backbench Tory MPs opposed to stringent lockdown restrictions – had called for a full cost-benefit analysis of the three-tier system.

A cost-benefit analysis (CBA) traditionally weighs up the costs of a particular policy action with its benefits.