High Street Voucher Scheme: applications to open September 13
The opening date is not yet final and will have to be confirmed in legislation
Last updated 25th Aug 2021
It is estimated the application portal for the High Street Voucher Scheme will go live on September 13 2021.
Anyone over the age of 18 who is a resident in Northern Ireland will be able to apply for the £100 pre-paid card from this date until October 11, 2021.
However, MLA’S were told today (Wednesday) by Department for the Economy officials that this date in not final, and it will have to be confirmed in legislation.
It is expected 1.5 million people will apply for the card, which customers can use for goods and services across the country to support local businesses.
It cannot however be used online or for gambling purposes.
The initiative will run for eight to 10 weeks and is set to finish at the end of November.
Tommy O'Reilly from the Department for the Economy informed the committee that any money left-over on the card would be recovered.
He said: “It is envisaged that the scheme would run for about eight to ten weeks to finish at the end of November and any outstanding monies would be recovered from the pre-paid cards as soon as possible after the closure date and all accounts etc must be completed by the end of March.
“The Minister does want to see the benefits of the spend spread right across Northern Ireland and not just focused on the high streets and in the cities.
“The spend should also be happening across a rang of sectors and not just in retail outlets.
“We’re estimating a significant number of eligible people will make application in the first two weeks and we will be encouraging people to use the digital portal because it’ll be easier to use and help you get the card quicker.”
Read More:
Rollout of £100 High Street Voucher Scheme set for September
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