How long can Britain afford the furloughing scheme?

The government will continue to pay workers put on leave as a result of the coronavirus crisis until October, Chancellor Rishi Sunak has announced. ____________________________________________________  More on coronavirus: ____________________________________________________ And when public sector workers, such as doctors and civil servants, and people on existing benefits are added to the equation, more than half of Britain’s adult population is being bankrolled by the state, according to The Telegraph. The government is currently paying about £14bn a month to furloughed workers, and the director of the Institute of Fiscal Studies (IFS) economic think tank, Paul Johnson, predicts that the total cost of the scheme may reach nearly £100bn by October. Gallery: Coronavirus turns the world into a ghost town (The Atlantic) From August, furloughed workers will be able to return to work part-time, with employers asked to pay towards their salaries. But UK government sources have told the BBC that the Treasury stills expects to be paying more than half the costs of furloughed workers wages between August and October. The Treasury is reportedly considering making large-scale tax rises central to its payment plan, with pensioners, workers and homeowners all potentially chipping in. However, the move would be likely to face widespread opposition, with many arguing that public health workers - such as those manning the NHS front line - are those most deserving of a pay rise.

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