The government has launched its latest scheme to support the struggling hospitality sector on 3 August, based on the initial uptake it has proved to be popular with the scheme being used more than 10.5 million times in the first week.
The scheme has already had an impact on the high street with data recorded showing an increase in footfall, raising hopes that the overall impact of COVID-19 on the hospitality and retail sectors might be lessened from earlier warnings and forecasts.
Based on HMRC data, the average spend is £5 per diner which equates to the cost of the scheme being approximately £50 million to date. The government have allocated £500 million to fund this policy and there is no limit as to how many times diners can access this scheme.
This scheme is available Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday each week in the month of August. It allows diners up to 50% discounts on food and drink, with a maximum discount of £10 per diner.
It doesn’t apply to takeaway or private dining functions and alcoholic drinks are not included in the scheme either.
If you are business operating a café, Restaurant or Pub and have re-opened after being shut due to the Coronavirus lockdown, then you can register to operate the scheme at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/register-your-establishment-for-the-eat-out-to-help-out-scheme
If you are a customer looking to take advantage of the scheme, HM Revenue and Customs have setup a find a restaurant page to help you select somewhere to eat, this can be found on the following link: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/get-a-discount-with-the-eat-out-to-help-out-scheme
For more detailed advice concerning how to make a claim, eligibility or perhaps keeping the correct records, NR Barton are here to help. You can call us on 01942 242245 or feel free to make an enquiry via our website and a member of our team will get back to you.
