On 22 January this year, the Government announced a 1-year extension to the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme, but with a reduced pot and a cap of £25,000 per eligible building each year.
Making a claim
The Department for Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS) has now published guidance for the change in arrangements for the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme, detailing how claims will be handled up to 31 March and from 1 April onwards.
The guidance is available here: Changes to the Scheme from 1 April 2025 – Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme.
The cap will be applied to all claims submitted from 00:00 on 1 April 2025 regardless of when the work was carried out. So, if you have an eligible claim and supporting documentation, make sure your claim is submitted before or at 23:59 on 31 March 2025 to prevent the amount you can claim being capped at £25,000.
Evaluation of LPWGS
The Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has commissioned research on the repair and maintenance of historic places of worship. Places of worship that have been ‘listed’ for their special architectural or historic interest can generally reclaim the VAT paid through The Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme. This scheme has operated since 2001 and is funded by the UK government through DCMS. Can you please encourage listed places of worship to respond to this survey to evaluate the scheme.
The short online survey is to help build understanding of individual places of worship’s experience of the scheme. This survey consists of around 25 questions and will play a vital role in understanding the outcomes and impacts of the scheme. As many places of worship as possible are asked to participate, to produce reliable findings.
The Cathedral and Church Buildings Team at the NCIs are encouraging everyone with a listed church building to complete the evaluation survey.
Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme Survey- Harlow Consulting
The survey is open until 25 March.
Updated 20 March 2025