The government has unveiled an emergency support package for pubs amid warnings of closures and job losses – but will it be enough to save the sector?
The Treasury has announced a new support package for pubs worth around £100m a year.
Under the plans, pubs will receive a 15 percent cut to new business rates bills from April, followed by a two-year real-terms freeze. The government will also review how pubs are valued for business rates, with changes to be implemented for the 2029 revaluation. In addition, £10m of funding has been allocated to the Hospitality Support Fund over three years to help more than 1,000 pubs provide community services such as cafés, village stores and play areas.
“We welcome the government looking at ways to support pubs, which have unique social value and are a vital employer,” commented Emma McClarkin, chief executive of the British Beer and Pub Association. “In the long term we want to work with government to help pubs thrive through permanent, meaningful business rates reform, a beer duty cut, a fundamental regulatory reset and mitigation of soaring employment costs.”
Downing Street also said a new High Street Strategy would be published later this year “to help ensure retail, leisure and hospitality businesses can thrive, as the bedrock of strong communities”.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves concluded: “If we’re going to restore the pride in our communities, we need our pubs and our high streets to thrive. We’re backing British pubs with additional support, and our new High Streets Strategy will help tackle the long-term challenges that our much-loved retail, leisure and hospitality businesses have faced.”
Originally published on Coinslot on February 2, 2026. Republished with permission.