ASDA has announced it will be returning business rate relief from the government it follows Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Morrisons and Aldi.
Collectively the UK’s biggest supermarkets will return more than £1.7bn.
Supermarkets, whose sales have boomed in the crisis, have been criticised for taking government help while paying dividends to shareholders.
But its president and chief executive, Roger Burnley, said: “As the hope of a vaccine and a more ‘normal’ life returning in 2021 grows, we have confidence that we are in a strong position to again do the right thing for the communities we serve.”
Earlier on Thursday, Sainsbury’s said it would hand back £440m of rates relief it had received, followed by Aldi which pledged to repay £100m.
They follow Tesco and Morrisons, who promised to repay £850m between them.
Both Sainsbury’s and Aldi said the decision reflected the fact they had been allowed to stay open in lockdown while non-essential shops had to close.
Labour said big supermarkets had “done the decent thing” but urged the government to pass on the £1.7bn handed back already to hard-hit businesses such as pubs and restaurants operating under the new tier system.
The Treasury said any funds returned would “support the ongoing efforts to protect people’s jobs and incomes”.