Iceland is offering pensioners a £30 voucher to help with their food shop amid the cost of living crisis.
According to The Rothesay Foundation, which has partnered with Iceland on the scheme, research by Age UK which shows that 1.7 million pensioners were living in poverty in 2020/20 21, which is 15% of all pensioners.
Additionally, more than 770,000 pensioner households (single people or couples) are also missing out on Pension Credit payments, worth around £1.5 billion every year.
The Iceland voucher scheme aims to help pensioners living in deprived areas of the UK by giving them a discount on food and essentials, and the campaign will also provide Age UK’s information guide on financial advice.
Find out below who is eligible for the voucher and how the scheme works.
How does the Iceland voucher scheme work and how long does it last?
Iceland has partnered with The Rothesay Foundation on the Summer Cheer campaign to provide pensioners with a voucher worth £30, which can be used to buy food and essentials.
The foundation is providing over £1 million of funding, which should help around 40,000 pensioners save on their shopping.
The pension scheme will run from August 1 until September 16.
Additionally, the voucher can be used in conjunction with the 10% discount for people over 60s that’s available every Tuesday, with ID.
Where is the Iceland voucher scheme available?
Iceland’s voucher scheme will be available at 269 shops in 17 areas across the UK, where there are the “highest numbers of pensioners living in material deprivation in the country,” according to The Rothesay Foundation:
- Glasgow
- Strathclyde
- Greater Manchester
- Liverpool
- Wirral
- Newcastle North
- Sunderland
- Huddersfield/Barnsley
- Sheffield
- Birmingham
- West Midlands
- Glamorgan
- Newport
- North Wales
- Lambeth
- Croydon
Who is eligible for the Iceland discount and how to claim it?
People of pension age who live independently or with a carer, and who rely solely on state pensions and benefits are eligible for the £30 discount.
To claim the £30 voucher, eligible pensioners should call the Summer Cheer hotline on 0800 098 7877 from 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday.
Richard Walker, Managing Director of Iceland Foods, said: “Since the launch of the partnership last Christmas, the cost-of-living crisis has taken hold of the UK, and now more than ever, people are struggling to access the food they need.
“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, said: “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”.
