The total amount of government-funded pub discount available in the year 2020/21 under this scheme is £1,000 per eligible property. There is no relief available under this scheme for properties with a rateable value of £100,000 or more. Eligibility for the relief and the relief itself will be assessed and calculated on a daily basis.
There is no definitive description of a traditional pub or public house in law which could be readily used by local authorities to determine eligibility, however the Government’s intention is that eligible pubs should:
- be open to the general public
- allow free entry other than when occasional entertainment is provided
- allow drinking without requiring food to be consumed
- permit drinks to be purchased at a bar.
The guidance received from the government states the following should be excluded from receiving pub discount:
- restaurants
- cafes
- nightclubs
- hotels
- snack bars
- guesthouses
- boarding houses
- sporting venues
- music venues
- festival sites
- theatres
- museums
- exhibition halls
- cinemas
- concert halls
- casinos
Further guidance can be found on the 'related links' area of this page
Because of the temporary nature of this discount the Government has chosen not to amend the Non-Domestic Rating Regulations. Instead the Government is asking local authorities to administer the reliefs through the discretionary rate relief provision. Providing discretionary relief to ratepayers is likely to amount to State Aid.
State Aid rules limit any business to €200,000 of aid over a rolling three year period. If you have received over €200,000 in state aid within this period. If you wish to refuse the relief granted as it would be in breach of state aid rules, please complete the State Aid Received Declaration form in the 'Do it online' section of this page.
Further guidance on state aid can be found in the 'related links' section of this page.
Ratepayers who are identified as eligible for this discount will either be awarded it automatically or be contacted by the Council to invite them to make an application.
Ratepayers that occupy more than one property will be entitled to relief for each of their eligible properties, subject to State Aid De Minimis limits.