THOUSANDS of Iceland customers have just weeks left to claim free vouchers that give money off food bills.
The budget supermarket chain is offering the discount to pensioners struggling with the cost of living.
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Iceland has partnered with the Rothesay Foundation to help vulnerable elderly people save on their grocery shop.
The supermarket made 40,000 vouchers available in August for those who’ve reached state pension age.
And now it has made another 40,000 available after getting an extra £1million of funding for the scheme.
It means tens of thousands of elderly people will be able to get the help – but they need to act fast as it ends on September 16.
To be eligible for the voucher you’ll also need to live independently or with a carer and rely solely on your state pension or other benefits to pay your bills.
Pensioners will need to apply for the vouchers by September 16 and these will need to be redeemed by December 31 2021.
You can find more detail on how to claim the vouchers below.
Iceland boss Richard Walker, previously said: “No one should ever have to worry about how they are going to eat or drink, and we hope that the support we can offer across the UK will help pensioners access and enjoy a worry-free meal during this difficult time.”
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Addy Loudiadis, chief executive officer of the Rothesay Foundation, added: “We hope our vouchers will provide a small amount of relief to the growing number of older people living in real financial difficulty in the UK.”
How do I claim the voucher and where can I spend them?
You’ll need to call the Summer Cheer hotline to request a voucher.
You can do that by ringing ring 0800 098 7877 between 9am – 5pm Monday to Friday to request a voucher.
You’ll be sent a leaflet in the post if you qualify with the £30 voucher, and you’ll be able to spend them at stores in the following locations:
- Glasgow
- Strathclyde
- Greater Manchester
- Liverpool
- Wirral
- Newcastle North
- Sunderland
- Huddersfield/Barnsley
- Sheffiled
- Birmingham
- West Midlands
- Glamorgan
- Newport
- North Wales
- Lambeth
- Croydon
To find out if your local Iceland store accepts the vouchers, you can use Iceland’s store locator.
What other help is available for pensioners?
Iceland offers a weekly over 60’s 10% discount across all its stores every Tuesday.
If you’ve got a £30 voucher, you can also use the over 60’s discount on top – but only on a Tuesday.
The 10% discount is applicable across all Iceland stores.
Eligible customers have to provide proof of age through a driving license, senior bus pass, senior rail card or Freedom Pass when paying for their goods at the checkout.
The discount will work across all products in store and you get 10% off the total cost of your shop.
In addition to the Iceland vouchers, there’s other help on offer if you’re a pensioner and you’re struggling to make ends meet.
The government announced a raft of measures back in May this year for struggling households.
Among the support specifically for pensioners is the £650 cost of living payment, but you will only receive this if you receive Pension Credit.
The payment is being split into two and you should have received the first instalment already.
The next one is due to be paid in the autumn, although a specific date has not yet been confirmed.
All energy customers are eligible for a £400 energy bills discount this winter.
The discount will be paid in six instalments from October. Two worth £66 and four worth £67.
A £300 one-off Pensioner Cost of Living payment will be dished out to eight million people later on in the year on to of the Winter Fuel Payment.
The Winter Fuel Payment is usually worth between £100 and £300 and those over the state pension age receive it.
If you are worried about the cost of living or debt, then a number of charities may also be able to offer free advice or help:
- National Debtline – 0808 808 4000
- Step Change – 0800 138 1111
- Citizens Advice – 0808 800 9060
