Government spending up 3.7% in September
A slight improvement in overall economic activity pushed tax receipts up by 3.7% to £42 billion in September, but this was mitigated by government spending rising 3.7% to £52.5 billion.
Taking away the impact of the one-off transfer of £28 billion of Royal Mail pension funds, public borrowing increased compared to last year.
- The cost of social benefits, including unemployment claims, rose 1.6%
- Public borrowing was at £65.1 billion, compared to £62.4 billion last year
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