UK government borrowing rose in September to the highest amount in five years, piling more pressure on Chancellor Rachel Reeves over the public purse.
UK public sector net borrowing rose to £20.2 billion in September, £1.6 billion higher than the same month last year, the Office for National Statistics said.
Most economists were expecting borrowing to total £20.8 billion in September, fractionally more than the £20.1 billion the UK's independent fiscal watchdog, the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR), forecast in March.
Borrowing in the current financial year, between March and September, was nearly £100 billion - the second-highest amount since monthly records began in 1993, the ONS said.
ONS chief economist Grant Fitzner said: "Last month saw the highest September borrowing for five years".
"Debt interest, the cost of providing public services and benefits all increased compared with last year, more than offsetting the rise in receipts from central government taxes and national insurance contributions," he said.
"Likewise, the first six months of the financial year saw the highest overall deficit since 2020," he added,
