During the first quarter of 2024/5, VAT payments of nearly £7m were refunded to listed places of worship across the UK.
This funding is made possible by the DCMS Listed Places of Worship scheme administered by EMB. Nearly 1500 application were received and approved during the period, with 58% were received via the online application system introduced by EMB 12 months ago as part of improvements to the scheme which has operated since 2010.
Moving to a digital first solution has significantly reduced the number of days taken to process an application which is good news for applicants and reduced administration costs which is good news for the public purse. To ensure everyone can access the scheme however, EMB also accepts email and postal applications and operates a telephone helpline. Calls to the helpline are falling as a result of the step-by-step help provided as part of the online service which has been designed to be as intuitive as possible. The system also provides applicants with automated updates on the progress of their application which helps to ensure exceptionally high satisfaction rates from service users.