Landlady is ‘living on soup’ after pubs shut
FORCED CLOSURE OF PUB HAS LEFT WOMAN STRUGGLING
AN East Hull landlady claims she is “living on tinned soup” as she waits for grant funding she is entitled to.
Christine Langham says she is entitled to £1,334 a month, £667 every fortnight, to cover expenses she can no longer afford while her pub, The Ship Inn of Ann Watson Way, is closed.
However, a payment she expected to arrive on December 16 still has not arrived in her account.
She is one of thousands of pub owners in the UK relying on government funding, distributed by local councils, to survive.
Christine received £667 from the council on December 29, but she is still waiting for the payment she expected on December 16.
She is also still waiting on the £1,000 Christmas grant that was promised by Prime Minister Boris Johnson to help “wetled pubs” plus the additional £2,000
put forward by Hull City Council.
The 49-year-old says she cannot afford to heat her pub or flat and claims to have questioned the council on numerous occasions as to where her money is.
Hull City Council said the second Tier 3 Local Restrictions Grant instalment worth £667 and a Additional Restriction Grant worth £3,000 would be paid this week to those eligible.
“I have still got rent to pay, gas, electric, water, phone bills and alarm monitoring. It doesn’t add up when I have got £667,” she said.
“Financially, I cannot afford to heat the pub or the flat. I am living on tinned soup, because I cannot afford to go out and eat.
“I have got no money because the council has not paid what the Government said I was entitled to.
“I didn’t want to close. We were forced to.
“I have emailed the council about 15 times asking where the grants are and there has been absolutely nothing.”
Through no fault of her own, Christine says she is now “racking up” rent debt with the brewery because the council has not paid her the full amount.
She first moved into the “oldfashioned boozer” in November to keep the place running for the community.
Christine signed up to run the place for 11 months with the potential of a five-year lease when time is up. She is determined to keep the place open, but admits she is unsure if she will be able to carry on if things continue the way they are.
“It is a question I don’t have the answer to,” she said. “If things dramatically change then I will probably be going, but I don’t want to.
“I feel at home here. I want to help the community.
“This is a proper old-fashioned boozer, which are a dying breed.
“This place opened around 1930 and is surrounded by industrial units. It is busy when it is open, because locals love it.”
A council spokesman said: “The council is paying all eligible businesses their second instalment of the Tier 3 Local Restrictions Grant this week.
“These payments will take two to three working days to be processed through the banking system into the relevant bank accounts.
“In addition to this, the business owner is also eligible for a £3,000 Additional Restriction Grant for hospitality premises, which will also be paid this week.
“The business will also be assessed for its eligibility to receive additional payments as part of the third lockdown restrictions.”
Financially, I cannot afford to heat the pub or the flat. I am living on tinned soup, because I cannot afford to go out and eat. I have got no money because the council has not paid what the Government said Christine Langham