Claim: The government provided £450 billion of funding that kept people in work and kept business afloat.
Fact-check: Overall cost of pandemic support was around £370 billion - Full Fact
Verdict: this figure is too high. it was intended to refer to an estimate for the total cost to the government in direct spending and delayed or cancelled taxes and duties. the total lifetime cost of support to businesses is estimated at about £140 billion, including the government's furlough scheme.
Organisation: Full Fact
Author: Hannah Smith
Date published: 2024-01-19T00:00:00