How to claim back discount on Eat Out to Help Out scheme

Registration is now open so pubs can offer a 50% discount to diners all day, every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday for August – up to a maximum of £10 per person on food and non-alcoholic drinks to eat or drink in.

Operators can register their pub if it:

• Sells food for immediate consumption on site
• Provides its own dining area or shares a dining area with another establishment for sit-down meals
• Was registered as a food business with the relevant local authority on or before 7 July 2020

Businesses that CANNOT register are:

• Those that only offer takeaway food or drink
• Catering for private functions
• Hotel that only provides room service
• Dining services such as packaged dinner cruises
• Mobile trailers or vans

Operators should note that if an application is based on inaccurate or dishonest information, their registration will be revoked.

In detail

The earliest operators can claim online from is this Friday (7 August) but this must be seven days from the date of registration. The service will run until 30 September.

Operators will be able to claim back the discount given on food and non-alcoholic drinks and submit weekly claims for August until the end of September.

However, you must make the claim yourself and cannot ask an agent to do it for you.

Claims can only be submitted for scheme discounts offered on or after the date the business was registered.

For each day of using the scheme, details of the following must be kept:

• Total number of people who have used the scheme in your venue
• Total value of transactions under the scheme
• Total amount of discounts given

Claim periods

If you are using the scheme for more than one venue, you must keep the above records for each.

Operators can make up to five claims before 30 September and cannot claim after that.

When you sign into the service, you must choose the periods you claim for from:

• 3 to 5 August
• 10 to 12 August
• 17 to 19 August
• 24 to 26 August
• 31 August

You will also need to enter the total number of covers and claim value for each venue that has offered the scheme discount.

Once you have claimed, you will get a reference number. HMRC then checks your claim is correct and will pay the claim amount into the bank account given at the time of registration via BACS within five working days.