Christmas Support Payment for wet-led pubs

On 1 December 2020 the government announced the introduction of additional support over the festive period for wet-led pubs in areas under Tier 2 or 3 restrictions. The scheme is called the Christmas Support Payment (CSP). 

Under the CSP scheme, wet-led pubs within Gateshead will be eligible to receive a one-off lump sum payment of £1,000. To be eligible you must be a wet-led pub which derives less than 50% of your income from food sales.

Eligibility

To be eligible to apply for a Christmas Support Payment, your business must:

• operate as a Public House
• be based in Gateshead
• have been trading on the 30 November 2020
• have an active Business Rates account on 1 December 2020
• derive less than 50% of your sales income from food
• not have exceeded the permitted state-aid threshold
• not be in administration, insolvent or where a striking-off notice has been made.

For the purpose of the CSP, a Public House should under normal circumstances (without local or national restrictions) be open to the general public, allowing free entry other than when occasional entertainment is provided, allow drinking without requiring food to be consumed and permit drinks to be purchased at a bar.

A social club that allows free entry to visiting members of the public/customers may submit an application.

The following types of business are excluded from the definition of a public house and are therefore not eligible for the support:

• restaurants
• cafes
• nightclubs
• hotels
• snack bars
• guesthouses
• boarding houses
• sporting venues
• music venues
• festival sites
• theatres
• museums
• exhibition halls
• cinemas
• concert halls
• casinos

For eligible applications, grants will be paid to the registered business rate payer for the business property.

Further information can be found on the Gov.uk website

Grant income received by a business is taxable, therefore funding paid under this scheme will be subject to tax. Only businesses which make an overall profit once grant income is included will be subject to tax.
The Government and the Council will not accept deliberate manipulation and fraud. Any business caught falsifying their records to gain grant money will face prosecution and any funding issued will be subject to claw back, as may any grants paid in error.

State aid rules and requirements apply to this grant scheme.

We do not accept any liability for any issues that may arise for businesses because of applying for, receiving, or not receiving grant payments under this scheme.

State aid 

The United Kingdom left the EU on 31 January 2020, nonetheless under the Withdrawal Agreement the State aid rules continue to apply during a transition period, subject to regulation by the EU Commission. 

Grant awards must not exceed state aid limits as permitted under the de Minimis and Covid-19 Temporary State Aid Framework. The rules are fully explained in the government state aid guidance. Applicants will be required to declare any other de minimis aid received in the last three years. 

Applicants will be required to declare they were not an undertaking in difficulty.