£500 voucher to spend in restaurants

[Alex50]

Would you go out to dinner, pub shopping if the government paid you to do so?

www.theguardian.com/politics/2020/jul/05/sunak-considers-500-vouchers-for-all-uk-adults-to-spend-in-covid-hit-firms

*only be for

I like the sentiment but as it would all need to be paid for eventually I think £50 for each adult is enough.

I would try to spend it in good faith at a local business on my high street - doing something that I would not have done regardless like a couple of lunches out with the family.

It’s not just a mad Dominic Cummings scheme, it’s a fairly conventional Keynesian programme which has been tried with varying levels of success in various countries at various times, and it’s been suggested by the thinktank who invented the furlough scheme. The posters saying “we’ll just need to pay it all back anyway” need to understand that economics is not a zero sum game.

It might not work of course, because the devil’s in the detail of implementation, and the mood music from the Treasury is that the sums being talked about are a bit OTT, but it’s not an inherently stupid idea.

As I said in another thread, I’d fancy spending it on some very expensive gourmet takeaways from local restaurants, which would be a good option for anyone who (understandably) didn’t want to share a dining space with their potentially disease-ridden fellow humans.

It’ll probably o to be for those on furlough and benefits.

Bashing are we?

People like my husband and I who have continued to work full time throughout probably wouldn’t get anything.

🙄

I think it’s a silly idea as it will all have to be paid back eventually anyway.

yep definitely a silly idea because it needs to be paid back. Why is there such little understanding of economics?

Yes please

It’ll probably o to be for those on furlough and benefits. People like my husband and I who have continued to work full time throughout probably wouldn’t get anything.

Jesus Christ!!

People on furlough and benefits

You are displaying a serious lack of understanding from that high horse of yours. You and your husband are lucky that you have been able to work. Lots of people on fits and furlough are there because they have no ducking choice. Some of these people are going to lose their homes because eh eh can't pay their mortgage ffs. But yeah, poor you and your husband not getting anything

EmbarrassedUser is making up her own imaginary programme and then getting cross about the imaginary rules which she invented. That really is the definition of having too much time on your hands (despite not being on furlough).

It's a great idea but the sums seem huge! Surely each person getting a hundred quid and kids getting fifty would do a similar job without costing the state such an astronomical amount? I can see a billion dementor type threads too about how unfair it all is because x can't use them in the way that would actually help, or because someone's selfish sister in law didn't donate the retail goods to her impoverished mum and Janet down the road bought herself a Chanel lippy while her kids wear worn out shoes etc etc ad infinitum.

Obviously I’d take if they were giving it away. I would try and spend it in small local businesses.
£500 seems like a lot per person, so I suspect this is just a load of hot air.

I've been on furlough and may not have a job after September. I'll swap my 500 voucher for a full time secure job (obviously the voucher is hypothetical).

It may seem like a lot, but to give business boost after all this, you need a lot.
Look at rents in your areas. Commercial rents. I know that my fave independent cafe pays 26k per annum. Just on rent! And that's not even THE best spot. By far not THE best spot...

Upthread I meant to write Would Not be free money, and would have to be paid back by taxation...

I'm not sure £500 is enough to convince me to risk catching Covid-19.

The people who would spend the money are the people who are happy to go out and about anyway. Those of us who are higher risk, including the clinically vulnerable, are likely to continue to stay at home.

Which makes this a delightful idea that discriminates against the disabled.

I'd like to say I can't see this actually happening, but you never know with our current Government! Really depends on what Dom wants.

How much would it cost to administer a scheme like that so that it is only going to businesses who have genuinely been hit?

I would love a spa day at the lovely upmarket hotel which has been badly hit but I was planning on having a belated lockdown birthday present anyway when it is safe. £500 could also buy a decent short break.

Which makes this a delightful idea that discriminates against the disabled.

No it doesn't. You have a year to spend it. Do you plan on not going to any physical shop for a year?

*Would have a year to spend it

@SchrodingersImmigrant Barring any significant change in circumstances, I have no plans to change my stance of staying at home.

Like I said, some people are happy to get out and about. Others, like me, are extremely reluctant to leave until a magic cure is found for either our underlying health conditions or the virus.

A £500 voucher isn't going to change the above.

The whole point of taxation/tax relief is to significantly change attitudes towards public spending. This won't do that, which is why it is not a well thought out scheme.

Now, grants for hard hit industries like the arts or hospitality, that makes sense. That would be a much better use of Government spending.

@Gingerkittykat

How much would it cost to administer a scheme like that so that it is only going to businesses who have genuinely been hit?

I would love a spa day at the lovely upmarket hotel which has been badly hit but I was planning on having a belated lockdown birthday present anyway when it is safe. £500 could also buy a decent short break.

Won't happen. If you read Rishi Sunak's comments on Twitter a while back, he basically admitted that a whole bunch of people have been missed off the furlough scheme because it was too hard to figure out how to administer it in a way that looked after everyone. It wasn't a lack of funding, it was an inability to come up with something complex.

Gosh yes we’d use it. We have a hotel and posh meal booked for August, I’d use it on that.

Now, grants for hard hit industries like the arts or hospitality, that makes sense. That would be a much better use of Government spending.

I don't agree with that. @sirfredfredgeorge explained very well why this would be better than a grant.
It is not JUST about the money.

If you plan on staying at home for another at least 13 months, that's your prerogative, but the scheme would still not be discriminatory.

I would rather they sort things out for small companies and self employed who have had bugger all from the government

Its not discriminating against disabled people. Its not for the public at all, its for the businesses.

My dad is Maltese and the governments just done this. They got €100 per person. €80 of that was to spend in local bars and restaurants, and the €20 was to spend I local shops. He just gave it to his local bar and asked them to look after him for the next few weeks 😂

If it ever did happen I would gladly spend the money.

@Bluewavescrashing

Is this essentially the same as printing money?

I think so, but completely targeted to the industries that need the boost.

If me and DH got a £1000 voucher we would be blowing it on steaks and wine before the ink was dry!