The UK government has borrowed record-breaking amounts to pay for measures designed to limit the impact of coronavirus.
Initiatives such as the furlough scheme are expensive and government income is down because lower wages and spending mean people are paying less tax. ทดลองเล่นสล็อตฟรีทุกค่าย
How much has the government borrowed?
The latest data shows that the UK government borrowed £24.3bn in May. While this was £19.4bn less than in the same month last year, it was still the second highest May borrowing since monthly records began in 1993.
In the previous financial year, the government had borrowed £299.2bn, the highest level in any financial year since records began in 1947.
The amount the government borrows to make up the difference between what it spends and what it collects is known as "public sector net borrowing".
It is often referred to as "the deficit".
Why does the government borrow money?
The government borrows because it spends more than it gets in income.
Most of its income comes from taxes - for example, income tax from your pay cheque or the VAT you pay on certain goods.
It could, in theory, cover all of its spending from taxes - and in some years that has happened.