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Q&A on changes to the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme from 1 April 2025

This Q&A gives more information on changes to the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme that came into effect on 1 April 2025, including the implementation of the annual cap of £25,000 per listed place of worship. You should read this guidance if you are planning to submit a claim.

Submitting Your Claim

When will the £25,000 annual cap apply?

  • From 00:00 on 1 April 2025 the maximum any place of worship can claim annually is £25,000.
  • Claims submitted from 00.00 on 1 April are therefore either capped at £25,000, or if under that level, form part of a place of worship’s annual claims allowance of £25,000.

Ongoing and Future Projects

What about long term projects already in train?

  • Claims for works that are submitted from 00:00 on 1 April 2025 are subject to the cap, including for long-term projects already in progress before this date. There are currently no plans to implement an exemption on the £25,000 cap.

How soon after submitting an application will I receive my payment?

  • We aim to make payment within 20 working days of receipt of the application assuming the application is eligible and all information and evidence is provided.

What happens after the end of March 2026?

  • Funding after March 2026 will be considered as we work through the output of the Spending Review and Departmental business planning process.

Grant Cap

Will the £25,000 cap apply to the building or the body making the claim?

  • The £25,000 cap applies to the individual listed place of worship, as identified by the listed building number.

Who will monitor the new £25,000 cap?

  • The £25,000 cap per individual listed place of worship is being monitored by EMB to ensure it is not exceeded. Applicants are also advised to keep their own records to ensure the correct amounts are being claimed.

Eligibility

How many claims can I make?

  • There is no limit to the number of claims an individual listed place of worship can make. However, the total combined value of claims cannot exceed £25,000 in the 2025/26 financial year.

Does the minimum invoice value threshold of £1,000 still apply?

  • Yes, the minimum invoice threshold remains the same as previous years.

What other changes are happening to the grant scheme this year?

  • Other grant scheme criteria and processes will remain the same.

Budget available

What happens when the budget is exhausted?

  • Once the budget allocated to the Scheme for 2025/26 has been spent, we will not be able to pay out any further claims. The 2025/26 Scheme will close on 31st March 2026, or once the £23m budget has been reached, whichever is earlier.

What is the budget for 2025/26?

  • For the 2025/26 financial year, the total budget for the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme is £23 million. This funding is allocated to cover both direct grants for eligible claims, and the administrative costs associated with managing the scheme effectively. Additionally, due to unprecedented demand in the 2024/25 funding cycle, we allocated a small portion of the 2025/26 budget to fund all claims submitted before the 31 March 2025 deadline. This totalled £469k.
  • As stated above, from 00:00 on 1 April 2025, the maximum any place of worship can claim annually is £25,000.