Cash lost to fraud and error from Rishi Sunak’s Covid schemes would be enough in pound coins to go around the world nearly four times, it can be revealed.
The PM is accused of allowing criminal gangs to “raid” hard-earned taxpayers’ money during his time as chancellor.
Figures show an estimated £6.7billion of government help for businesses and individuals was actually fraudulent or a mistake.
If this was lined up in one pound coins, it would go on for 97,419 miles - which is 3.9 times the circumference of the earth.
Labour ’s Rachel Reeves demanded Mr Sunak “face up” to his “colossal mistakes” and work to get the cash back.
The shadow chancellor said: “People work really hard for their wages, and when they pay their taxes to the government, they expect them to treat that money as carefully as if it were their own.
“It should be a badge of shame for this Prime Minister that he left the till open for fraudsters and criminal gangs to raid having ignored warnings and failed to ensure the most basic of checks.”
Miss Reeves added: “Working people and businesses are already paying the price for the Tory economic mess we’re in.
“The Prime Minister must face up to the colossal mistakes and losses and work tirelessly to retrieve the billions of public money lost to Covid fraud, waste and crony contracts when he was Chancellor.”
Figures compiled by the House of Commons library show £3.5billion of the cash spent on the furlough scheme - which saw employees have part of their wages covered if they were unable to work - is believed to have been fraud or error.
The amount lost from a scheme for self-employed workers was £1.0billion, while the sum for bounce back loans - given to small businesses - was £1.1billion. An estimated £1.0billion was also lost in fraud and error from other business grant schemes.
Only around £770million of the total bill for fraud and error is thought to have been recovered.
Labour is demanding officers from the National Crime Agency be called in to investigate the extent of Covid fraud - and arguing Mr Sunak’s embarrassment over the mistakes should not be a barrier to this.
The Mirror revealed earlier this month that the taxman is shutting down its fraud-busting Covid taskforce.
HM Revenue and Customs says its specialist team of 1,250 officials, who are working to get back taxpayer cash, will begin winding down in March. The unit will be closed down completely by September.
