£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

Of course it will come Out of tax rises. But if more people are paying taxes by keeping their jobs then surely it’s good?

I'd love this.

We have some great local business that I try to support but a couple are on the more expensive (for me, at least) end of things.

If I had £500 I would be happy to spend it there.

There's a great, very simple, explanation of the theory behind this idea - the £10 note explanation.

A farmhand is given a £10 by his boss for working on the farm. He uses it to pay his rent. His Landlord goes to her hairdresser and uses the £10 note to pay.

The hairdresser takes the £10 note and runs down to the village shop, and buys her shopping. The shopkeeper uses the £10 note to pay the farmer who supplied his eggs.

And the Farmer uses the £10 note to pay the farmhand.

The same ten pound note has been paid to one person, moved through all the others and been used again. Everyone has what they need and no-one is in debt - just from the movement of that one note.

What the vouchers would (theoretically) do is start this chain with 'A man finds a £10 note on the floor - introducing the £10 to the economy from outside. The key is to look at how much work that one note does, and how many individuals and businesses are assisted by it.

The other change to the cycle in introducing the 'new' £10 note is that several of those steps include 'and pay their taxes', including the farmer, who is now making a profit. :-)

Yes I would. Definitely.

This all seems to have gone a bit quiet now, I think we might be out of luck! ☹️ (Yes I know theres no such thing as free money but I wanted a new North Face coat!)

It certainly had the potential to boost spending. I would absolutely use them. Guess we shall find out what the government decide to do tomorrow.

No flooring for me... still it was a nice dream

Can’t say I’m tempted by the eat out to help out scheme either unfortunately

@confusedandtired99

Can’t say I’m tempted by the eat out to help out scheme either unfortunately

Only Monday-Wednesday, only selected restaurants, only in August, and only up to £10 per head. Pointless.

So it’s actually a tenner! Lols

The tenner thing is pointless. It will be interesting to see if the 5% vat for certain sectors has any effect.

That is so pathetic, and he makes out it is some world historic gesture. Wouldn't buy a starter round my way. I think they are having a laugh at us.

The tenner is getting a lot of publicity, but if anything is probably the least significant of the announced measures.

Wondering whether to spend my voucher on McDonalds, KFC or Dominoes

Yes! I'd love it

Would pick carefully and aim for a quiet time and ideally outside but I'd absolutely use them

Half, Mon-Wed, a tenner and no alcohol - so like Meerkat Meals then?

Can’t see the VAT thing making a difference, are restaurants really going to to reprint menus to reduce prices to reflect 15% less VAT? Doubtful

@tryingtocatchthewind

Can’t see the VAT thing making a difference, are restaurants really going to to reprint menus to reduce prices to reflect 15% less VAT? Doubtful

I assumed it was more to help restaurants? Ie they charge the same but instead of paying £2 VAT on an order they pay 50p and keep the £1.50. With the £10 voucher being the help for customers. I may have misinterpreted.

Hell yes

Very disappointing - I guess we shouldn't have got our hopes up.

I doubt that "up to £10" 50% discount on meals from Monday to Wednesday is going to tempt anyone to brave the recent scientific warnings on catching coronavirus indoors.

Reminds me of the Sun offer of a holiday at Butlins for £1 or Morrison's "kids eat free after 6pm" deal.

It's a nice idea but:

• if you're rich it's probably not significant enough to persuade you
• if you're poor you can't afford the 50% anyway.

Also for some reason I find it a bit patronising.

It makes me think of Groupon horror stories The hassle of booking it at an awkward time, the likelihood of restaurants chocking up drink prices to try to maximise profits etc. Then if you do take it up, the owners will probably grumble at you that claiming it back is a massive hassle and they don't get the full amount because of the red tape, etc etc. You'll end up being made to feel like a freeloader. All for the pleasure of being rammed in, all risking coronavirus. Yuk. No thanks Rishi.

Such a damp squib after the expectation.

What a waste of time. Places are not going to lower their prices by 15% so the consumer will still pay full price. Risk catching the virus for the sake of £10 are they mad. The voucher scheme would have worked as 12 months to use but this is giving you basically 13 days in August a month where I am still trying to work out how to buy the kids school uniforms after months on furlough. Think I will pass.

Absolutely pointless
What happened to getting people spending to stop stores dying?
Yet more MSM rubbish

This Restaurant thing (£10off) will only for those who can actually afford to eat out at all. It’s no good to the poor who can just about afford a tin of beans. £10 discount is not going to be here nor there to them, is it.
Once again the richest benefit.

It's not for consumers. It's for the businesses.

It's not about rich and poor, but rather about encouraging people to spend a bit even if they only get tenner off, so we don't have more unemployed.

For many that tenner will make difference and encourage a visit they wouldn't probably otherwise make.

For many that tenner will make difference and encourage a visit they wouldn't probably otherwise make.

I doubt that, it's not enough to make a difference to those who can afford it - and because it's only 50% off non alcoholic bits - then it doesn't help those who can't afford it. It's such a tiny window of people who'd make a difference too, it's more likely just to move people from going out Thursday/Sunday to Monday/Wednesday.

Lots of restaurants have always had 2 for 1 on main courses, 50% off on them etc. on Monday-Wednesday anyway 'cos they're such quiet days and this offer is barely more than that.