John Caudwell, the founder of Phones4U who has donated 70 per cent of his wealth to charity, recently participated in an online Zoom rally to urge the Chancellor Rishi Sunak to compensate taxpayers who had fallen between the gaps in Government funding since the start of the crisis a year ago.

In a message on Twitter, Mr Caudwell said: “If you’re enjoying trips to shops or the pub this week with money you’ve saved over the past year, spare a thought for those struggling in the ExcludedUK community.”

The Treasury has previously been warned that a huge swathe of British society is being plunged into debt and poverty due to gaps in the support package for businesses which have been affected by the pandemic.

Leaders of ExcludedUK, which campaigns on behalf of people who have failed to gain meaningful Government support during the pandemic, have written to Jesse Norman, the Financial Secretary to the Treasury, claiming the UK’s economic recovery will be hampered without further Government action.

The Treasury has described the Government’s package of support in response to the coronavirus pandemic as one of the largest and most comprehensive in the world, which is protecting millions of jobs and the incomes of millions more.

A spokesman said: “It’s been widely recognised that without our action, the impact of this crises would have been worse as the OBR has acknowledged.

“All our schemes are designed to target support at those who need it most, while we’ve also invested billions in strengthening our welfare safety net – ensuring it’s more generous and accessible for those who need it.”