A number of Iceland shoppers across the UK could be entitled to a free £30 voucher to buy food and essentials at the supermarket. Pensioners in Greater Manchester are among those eligible to receive the offer in a bid to support older people living in poverty as the cost of living rises.
The retailer has partnered with the Rothesay Foundation to support some of the 1.7 million pensioners who are currently struggling, relying solely on the state pension and benefits for their income.
The foundation is providing over £1 million of funding, giving over 40,000 pensioners living in the highest areas of need Iceland vouchers to spend in their local stores
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It forms part of the ‘Summer Cheer’ campaign, which will roll out across 269 stores, giving local pension-age residents who are living independently, or with a carer, a £30 voucher for food and other essentials
The campaign will run for seven weeks from August 1 until September 16, providing pensioners with a £30 Iceland gift voucher to spend in one of 17 areas nationwide, including Greater Manchester.
Iceland is providing the vouchers at zero profit, to allow the total fund to be available to as many people who are in need as possible.
Along with the vouchers, the campaign will also provide Age UK’s information guide on financial advice following research showing that, despite record levels of poverty, over 770,000 pensioner households are still missing out on Pension Credit payments - worth £1.5 billion every year.
Pension Credit not only gives older people extra cash, but once claimed it can also unlock other financial help towards the cost of living such as a free TV licence, free NHS dental treatment and help towards energy costs through the Warm Home Discount, if eligible.
Iceland is helping older people in need in other ways too. In May, the supermarket launched a weekly over 60’s discount across all their stores, which provides customers with 10 per cent discount every Tuesday, when ID is shown. If you qualify for a £30 voucher with the Rothesay Foundation, the over 60’s discount can also be used in conjunction with this, to help make money go further.
To claim the voucher, eligible OAPs should call the Summer Cheer hotline on 0800 098 7877 to request their £30 coupon. The telephone line will be open from 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday.
Richard Walker, Managing Director of Iceland Foods, 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.”
Addy Loudiadis, 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. Going forward, we are committed to working with brilliant partners like Iceland and Age UK to help as many pensioners as possible get access to their full benefit allowances”.
Areas where the vouchers will be made available to eligible pensioners include:
Glasgow
Strathclyde
Greater Manchester
Liverpool
Wirral
Newcastle North
Sunderland
Huddersfield/Barnsley
Sheffield
Birmingham
West Midlands
Glamorgan
Newport
North Wales
Lambeth
Croydon
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