Eat Out to Help Out entitles every diner to a 50% discount, up to £10 a head, at any participating restaurant, café, pub or food service establishment in the UK on certain days in August.
Every single member of the public will be able to eat out for half the price in August, in a move that will give the hospitality sector – and millions of workers – a much-needed boost.
Households will be able to dine out on a discount as part of a new ‘eat out to help out’ initiative unveiled during Wednesday’s mini-Budget.
It will be valid at 129,000 cafés, restaurants and pubs across the UK and equate to 50% off, up to a maximum discount of £10 per head.
Chancellor Rishi Sunak said the move will help protect 1.8million jobs, by incentivising people to return to the high street, following the coronavirus lockdown.
“To encourage people to safely return to eating out at restaurants, the Government’s new eat out to help out discount scheme will provide a 50% reduction for sit-down meals from Monday to Wednesday every week throughout August 2020,” the Chancellor explained during Wednesday’s mini-Budget.
Sunak also said VAT on hospitality and tourism would drop to 5% to help businesses. The reduction, from 20%, will be in place for the next six months.
But how will it work? We’ve taken a closer look below.
The scheme will entitle every diner to a 50% discount of up to £10 per head on their meal, at any participating restaurant, café, pub or other eligible food service establishment.
You won’t have to collect individual vouchers to claim it. Instead, you’ll be able to just go to a participating venue on the relevant days to redeem the saving.
Unfortunately not, the Treasury said that while the scheme will be valid on food and drink, booze will be excluded.
The discount can be used unlimited times and will be valid Monday to Wednesday on any eat-in meal, including on non-alcoholic drinks, for the entire month of August 2020 across the UK.
Participating establishments will be fully reimbursed for the 50% discount and will be able to apply for the cash via a soon-to-launch online portal.
No. The initiative has been introduced to help pump money back into the struggling high street.
As a result, it will only be valid on eat-in meals.
However, there is a slight loophole. If a sandwich shop decides to create an “eat-in” area ie. put tables out, it will be able to apply the discount – but only if you “eat in”.
The voucher incentive will give households a 50% reduction on food and drink, up to £10 per head throughout August. The discount will be valid on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays, the Treasury explained.
Around 130,000 businesses will be registered on the scheme when it launches, from pubs to cafés and restaurants.
Officials say there will eventually be a database where people can look up participating restaurants, cafés or pubs. This guidance will be released on July 13.
Individual firms will be able to register on a government portal and apply to claim the money back, based on what they sell.
SOURCE
Mirror
