Tony and Cherie Blair claimed almost £80,000 from the furlough scheme despite their huge wealth.
The names of the former prime minister and his wife – rather than any specific business – appear on an updated list of beneficiaries of the taxpayer-funded programme.
Set up in March 2020 to protect jobs during the pandemic, it was phased out last September after 940,000 individuals and businesses had claimed.
A spokesman for the Blairs said they had taken £76,000 to cover wages of staff at Lady Blair's law firm. Money was paid to them every month the scheme operated.
All businesses and individuals, whatever their financial situation, were entitled to claim the payouts to cover the wages of furloughed staff.
Tony and Cherie Blair (pictured together) claimed almost £80,000 from the furlough scheme despite their huge wealth
However, thousands of organisations have since said they will pay back at least some of the money after faring better than expected through the pandemic.
Wealthy individuals to be criticised over the payouts include Victoria Beckham. She reportedly reversed a decision to furlough 30 staff at her fashion label after her decision to apply for public money caused uproar.
But the Blairs are not thought to have returned the £76,000 despite his wealth alone being estimated at anything up to £50million.
The controversy comes just as the number of people demanding that he be stripped of his knighthood passed one million.
The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, or furlough scheme, was set up at the start of the Covid crisis so that employers could cover 80 per cent of the wages of staff who could not work because of the shutdown.
Around £69billion has since been spent by taxpayers on funding the scheme, the biggest government intervention in the UK jobs markets in peacetime.
Covid restrictions were eased from March last year, with almost all curbs lifted in July. However, the Blairs continued making their claims – averaging £3,500 a month – right up until September.
Norman Baker, a Liberal Democrat MP, said: 'Why can't a law firm work from home? There can be no justification. This looks like an attempt to grab as much money as possible from the public purse irrespective of need and it leaves a very sour taste in the mouth.'
Shortly after leaving Downing Street, Sir Tony bought a townhouse in central London now worth around £8.5million. The former PM, 68, and his wife, 67, also paid £4million for a Buckinghamshire stately home (pictured) in 2004. The family also has a large number of buy-to-let properties
Former Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron said: 'The Blairs are not the only people on the scheme who don't appear to need it, but have accessed it.
'I think there are a lot of people out there who need to have a long hard look at themselves and ask whether they took advantage of a scheme that they could afford not to use.'
Tory MP Peter Bone added: 'Wealthy individuals and companies have handed back money they have received during the pandemic because they felt it was morally wrong. It may be that the Blairs will reflect on that.'
Shortly after leaving Downing Street, Sir Tony bought a townhouse in central London now worth around £8.5million. The former PM, 68, and his wife, 67, also paid £4million for a Buckinghamshire stately home in 2004. The family also has a large number of buy-to-let properties.
Their spokesman said it was wrong to single out a furlough employer that fell into the lowest banded range on the list.
They added: 'In relation to the December to September months it was just over £35,000, an average of around £3,500 a month, in respect of three members of staff who were unable to fulfil their usual duties because of Covid restrictions.'
One million people protest against 'Sir Tony'
BY LIZ HULL FOR THE DAILY MAIL
The petition to strip Tony Blair of his knighthood passed a million signatures.
Furious relatives of soldiers killed in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, veterans, victims of terrorist atrocities in Northern Ireland and politicians have all lined up to condemn the decision to appoint the former Labour prime minister to the Order of the Garter.
The petition was set up by former soldier Angus Scott, 55, who was angry that Sir Tony – who he said took Britain to war using 'lies and deceit' – was being honoured.
More than one million people have signed a petition to have Sir Tony Blair's knighthood removed
Mr Scott, a voice coach and Territorial Army veteran, said he hoped the poll might get 100 signatures, but last night admitted he was 'overwhelmed' so many others agreed the ex-PM should be stripped of the award. And he called on Sir Tony to do the 'honourable' thing in the face of the backlash and 'courteously decline' it.
Mr Scott, a married father-of-three from Dereham in Norfolk, added: 'I am overwhelmed and genuinely moved by the level of support that this petition has received. Every single individual who signed this petition should be proud of playing their part in sending this powerful, united message. It has been an honour for me to simply be the messenger.
'In my view, the people that this petition truly represents are
