More than 200 Isle of Wight outlets took part in the Government’s Eat Out to Help Out (EOHO) scheme last summer, claiming back more than £2.7 million.
In an effort to put money back into the local economy and support the hospitality sector after the first coronavirus lockdown, EOHO gave up to 50% on food and drink at participating outlets, if people sat and ate out instead of taking away.
It was valid from Monday to Wednesday throughout August, with businesses allowed to claim until the end of September.
A maximum discount of £10 per person per meal was applied with 224 Island restaurants, cafes and pubs claiming back £2,755,000 from HM Revenue and Customs.
Latest government data shows a total of 515,000 meals were discounted through EOHO on the Isle of Wight, at an average of £5.35 per meal. The average UK meal discount was £5.74.
The government found the local authority areas with the relatively lower levels of discount per meal were around coastal areas such as the Island, Blackpool, Boston and Skegness. City centres were found to have higher levels of discount per meal.
On average, each Isle of Wight outlet received £12,300 — higher than the average UK average of £10,198 per outlet.
Across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland more than 106,500,000 meals were claimed for with a total discount of £611,674,038.
A massive mistake in my eyes.
As what a huge price we have ‘paid’ ever since.
Some no doubt with their lives.
The virus was still around back then, but as to stop such Summer trade would have hurt the ’tills’, so news on numbers, and test were very muted at that time.
Odd for as SOON as the Summer season was over, numbers rose dramatically.
Back in the Summer with people ‘then’ more trusting, the encouragement of a ‘bribe’ of a half price meal from your own Government, was imo, morally wrong.
As IF it was fully safe to eat out, which it clearly wasn’t, then people would have done so without NEEDING the ‘bribe’.
To bribe a nation by offering a cash incentive to do something known to have a danger even if low, is disgusting in a civilised country.
Akin to paying a health worker ‘more’ to treat a CV infected person, knowing that they haven’t the full PE gear to do so safely. The RISK isn’t lessened by more money, or by paying ‘less’.
IF Russia had tried the same ‘stunt’ doubt the press would have ever let it drop.
Quite. It was subsidized virus spread, – as someone put it :- “Eat out to help out the virus” !
(Home cooking is always best anyway)
A huge blunder imo. Lazy people knew the virus was around, and going out when many holiday makers from all over the country if not world were here, just to see their geeky children eat half a burger and a coke, to paste up on f.b has put many in the ground now.
Yeah and spread COVID like a dose of the Pox. Holidaymakers and islanders mixing in these establishments that took part and the rest is………well, we all know what the outcome was….
Another government mistake. Would have been far safer health wise had the ‘outlets’ remained closed and they were just given the money directly instead.
This I felt at the time was so wrong, to offer half price food to the poor people to ‘tempt’ them to eat out whilst in danger? Never imagine such in this country.
Pity and very very sadly people paid with their lives, an example of the balance between economy and health and the price many pay, do not make the same mistake again, unfortunately some people will not have the opportunity to have a meal out with their family again. Christmas was another example!
Nobody forced you all to go out.
Passing the buck as usual because you were selfish and ignorant.
If you people would pay more attention what’s going on, you would have seen rishi sunak made a statement saying, ” The eat out to help out was very successful,and there’s no evidence to show this had any effect on the infection rate”. But this then begs the question, why aren’t they open now then!?
They WILL be for the Easter trade. Then ‘surprising’ data will show number so low, that the tills can ping again for the holiday trade, then, rinse repeat.
Answer simple go to a shop, cook at home. Spread the butter not the virus.
No just spread it in the supermarkets instead, the only shops that are open right now that every member of public HAS to use, where hundreds are in together at one time, touching everything, thinking they’re safe because they’re wearing a suffocating mask! How ridiculous to say people eating a meal with their family cost lives! You all spend so much time on here commenting silly opinions why don’t you waste some time on gov.uk reading the ridiculous legislations, or on sites looking at real statistics not the god damn news channels! Then maybe you’ll actually see the truth not the propaganda!
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eat out sensibly, keep your distance, and wear a mask. there should be no problems at all.
Unfortunately quite a few people on the island dont know what 2 metres is, only know how to wear a mask on their chin, and get offended when you tell them to keep back, especially in queues. Many people couldnt even cope with the concept of being served at their table instead of walking about during the summer.
Take a look on gov.uk and read the legislation for yourself and then tell me you have the right to tell others to wear a mask! No proof whatsoever of them being any help at all, no evidence of the long term effects of wearing one, just like the vaccine. But people will happily walk themselves into that because they’re scared of a pathetic virus. The legislation clearly states you do not need proof of exemption for not wearing a mask, it states that you do not need medical approval for not wearing a mask, it states you do not have to carry or show exemption from wearing a mask. No where whatsoever does it say everyone HAS to wear. Mask. Go have a look at what the meaning of the word must is, it’s not has its may!! That’s a personal choice!!!
If your that scared and padantic about going out then don’t, if you work in a supermarket and are scared then leave your job, let someone who will happily work and needs the money right now do so. You lot quarantine yourselves and let the rest of us carry on with our lives and try keep the economy going, because you’ll only be moaning when they’ve finally taken everything from you even though you believed you “followed the rules” and the rest of us will be laughing happily <3
God you could talk a glass eye too sleep.
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My family of 15 enjoyed it, thoroughly enjoyed lots of cheap curries in Cowes. Thank you Mr Rishi.
A big much needed boost to local businesses on the brink of collapse, sadly the elderly never got to enjoy it average age of all covid deaths in the UK is 82 years old they were safely locked away in care homes or shielding at home, offered a time when common flu was a much bigger killer than covid in the Summer of 2020 when flu’s are not prevalent.
Great to see nearly all the elderly have been vaccinated now, looking forward to May when all these business’s on the Island start to open back up again, and life start to get back to normal possible, Very sad to see the damage these lockdowns to mental health of people, only people that enjoyed lockdowns are agoraphobic recluses.
Looking forward to May, will be great to the hospitality sector reopen again, if it is safe to do so.