Today the UK Chancellor gave an indication of how much it is costing to support people who are unable to work due to the lockdown.
More than half of Britain’s adult population is now being funded by the state. 6.3 million people in the UK – almost a quarter of all PAYE employees – have now been put on furlough by their employers at a cost of £8 billion in the first month. The NHS budget is approximately £11 billion a month.
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27 million people are now being funded by the Government amid growing concern over the devastating toll to the economy wrought by the coronavirus pandemic.
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Rishi Sunak, the Chancellor, said that the cost was “clearly not a sustainable situation” as he said that Britain must get back to work.
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Sir Iain Duncan Smith, the former Conservative leader and former work and pensions secretary, said: “This proves that we have to now be looking to unlock the lockdown urgently because this is unsustainable for much longer.”
Source: More than half of all adults now paid by the state, Daily Telegraph, 2030-05-04