The Eat Out to Help Out Scheme, as part of the Chancellor’s Plan for Jobs, aims to encourage people to safely return to eating out at restaurants.
The scheme offers a 50% discount, up to a maximum of £10 per person, for food or non-alcoholic drinks to eat or drink in. Alcohol and service charges are excluded from the offer. The scheme applies all day, every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday from 3 to 31 August 2020.
Participating businesses are expected to offer the discount during the whole of their opening hours on all the eligible days that they are open and on all qualifying sales of food or drink.
Let us know when you register and we’ll include all participating local venues in a special feature.
Eligible Businesses
Only businesses that are registered as a food business with the relevant local authority on or before 7 July 2020 and sell food for immediate consumption on the premises are eligible, this could include:
- Restaurants
- Cafés
- Pubs that serve food
- Hotel restaurants
- Dining rooms within members’ clubs
- Workplace and school canteens
- Restaurants and cafes within tourist attractions, holiday sites and leisure facilities
You cannot register:
- An establishment that only offers takeaway food or drink
- Mobile food vans or trailers
- Catering services for private functions
- A hotel that provides room service only
- Dining services, such as packaged dinner cruises
The scheme is now open for registrations, click here to register your business. You will need a Government Gateway user ID and password for your business. If you do not have one, you can create one when you register.
How to Claim the Money Back
Establishments will need to claim the money back from the government and must wait seven days from registration to make their first claim. Claims can be submitted on a weekly basis and HMRC will pay eligible claims within 5 working days. Businesses will still need to pay VAT based on the full amount of the customers’ bills.
The service used to claim reimbursements will be available on 7 August 2020 and will close on 30 September.
Promote the Scheme
Posters, images and other promotional materials for use by establishments who are taking part in the Eat Out To Help Out Scheme can be found here.
Participating restaurants who register will receive a display sticker so people can see they are participating.
The government will also promote the scheme using radio, media and advertising. Restaurants and establishments who have registered will be published on the Government’s website so the public can see who is taking part.
More information about the scheme can be found here.
