Eat Out to Help Out facts for kids
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The Eat Out to Help Out scheme was a special plan from the British government. It was created to help restaurants, cafes, and pubs, and to save jobs in these places. This was important because the COVID-19 pandemic had caused big problems for the economy.
The government paid for half of the cost of food and non-alcoholic drinks at places that joined the scheme. They would pay up to £10 for each person's order. This offer was announced in July 2020. It was available during August 2020, from Monday to Wednesday each week.
In total, the government spent £849 million on the scheme. This helped pay for 160 million meals. Some people thought the scheme was a great success for helping the restaurant industry. Others disagreed. A study in 2021 suggested that the scheme might have caused more COVID-19 infections.
Why the Scheme Started
The COVID-19 pandemic had a huge effect on the economy, especially for restaurants and cafes. This was because fewer people were traveling or going out for fun. Many businesses had to close, and people were told to stay at home during lockdowns.
Even after lockdowns ended, people changed how they spent their money. This meant that restaurants and similar businesses were still losing money. The Eat Out to Help Out scheme was designed to encourage people to visit these places again. It aimed to get people spending money in the restaurant industry.
How the Scheme Worked and Its Effects
Rishi Sunak, who was the government's top money minister (the Chancellor of the Exchequer), announced the scheme. This happened on 8 July 2020. It was part of the government's plan to create jobs.
The government paid half the cost of food and non-alcoholic drinks. This was for meals eaten inside participating cafes, pubs, and restaurants. The discount was up to £10 per person for each order. The offer ran from 3 August to 31 August. It was available every Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. There was no limit to how many times a person could use the discount.
The scheme led to a big increase in people visiting restaurants during August. More people went out to eat than in August 2019, before the pandemic. People also took part in fun activities 5–6% more often on the days the scheme was active. The number of job openings in the food service industry went up by 7% to 14%. This increase was not seen in other types of jobs.
However, places where the scheme was used a lot also saw more COVID-19 infections. After the scheme finished, infections in these areas went down. A study by experts in 2021 suggested the scheme might have caused "between 8–17% of all newly found COVID-19 infections" in late summer. Two other studies suggested that any good economic effects did not last long after the scheme ended.
Later in 2020, after the scheme finished, more lockdowns were put in place. This was because COVID-19 infections increased again. These new lockdowns forced many restaurants and cafes to close once more.
On a TV show in October 2020, the Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, said that Eat Out to Help Out might have helped spread COVID-19. He said it was important to keep jobs in the restaurant industry. He also said that if the scheme did spread the virus, they needed to stop it with new rules.
Professor John Edmunds, an expert who advised the government during the pandemic, called the scheme "a spectacularly stupid idea." He also said it was a very bad way to spend public money.
See also
- British government response to the COVID-19 pandemic
