Christmas Support Payment (CSP)
Applications for the Christmas Support Payment are now closed.
The Christmas Support Payment is for wet-led pubs (pubs that predominantly serve alcohol rather than food) that have been severely impacted over the festive season due to temporary local restrictions from 2 to 29 December 2020.
Eligible businesses are entitled to a one off cash grant of £1,000.
Eligibility
Your business may be eligible if you:
- were trading on 30 November 2020 (or prior to when the recent local/national restrictions came into force), and
- meet the definition of a pub, and
- get less than 50% of your income from the sale of food, and
- have not exceeded state aid limits, and
- are not in administration, insolvent or have a striking-off notice issued against you
Definition of a pub
A pub should:
- be open to the general public, and
- allow free entry (other than when occasional entertainment is provided), and
- allow drinking without requiring food to be consumed, and
- allow drinks to be purchased at a bar (prior to coronavirus restrictions)
For these purposes, the definition of a pub excludes: restaurants, cafes, nightclubs, hotels, snack bars, guest houses, boarding houses, sporting venues, music venues, festival sites, theatres, museums, exhibition halls, cinemas, concert halls and casinos.
Exclusions
You are not eligible for this grant if your business:
- derives 50% or more income from food sales
- does not allow free entry to the general public i.e. you charge a membership fee
- has exceeded the permitted state aid threshold
- is in administration, insolvent or has been struck off the Companies House register
Tax
Any grant income your business receives is taxable. You must include the Christmas Support Payment as income on your tax return. You'll only pay tax if your business makes an overall profit once grant income is included.
Fraud or payment in error
We will not accept deliberate manipulation and fraud. Any business caught falsifying their records to gain grant money will face prosecution and funding issued will be recovered. Funding may also be recovered for any grants paid in error.
We undertake pre and post payment checks to combat the risks of fraud and payment error.