Despite the highest level of tax burden on people in 75 years, surging Government spending is continuing to outpace tax receipts meaning borrowing relentless rose in March.
Borrowing needed to finance Government spending was £21.5bn, last month, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said.
That is the second-highest March borrowing figure since monthly records began in 1993.
Meanwhile, borrowing for the financial year ending 31 March 2023 was estimated at £139.2bn.
That was £18.1bn more than the previous year, and equivalent to 5.5% of the value of the UK economy - the highest percentage since 2014, excluding the pandemic.
With Government debt now at 94% of the value of the country's annual income, the level of Government spending cannot continue at its current levels.