Spend your entire balance by checking it now.
Economy Minister Gordon Lyons has urged Spend Local cardholders to double-check the balance on their cards and spend every penny of the remaining balance.
During a visit to Antrim's The Junction Retail and Leisure Park, the Minister stated:
"By now, almost everyone who applied for a Spend Local card has received one." Hundreds of thousands of shoppers in Northern Ireland have already used theirs. We have already invested around £90 million in much-needed capital in our retail, hospitality, and service sectors.
"And it's working." Footfall is increasing, according to the Northern Retail Consortium, and PwC recently predicted that spending on the high street will increase this Christmas. ”
During his visit, the Minister met with a number of independent merchants and learned how the High Street Scheme has benefited them.
The Minister went on to say that it is critical that every card holder spends every penny on their card in order to maximize the benefit to those traders who were hit the hardest by the pandemic.
He continued, saying:
"Many of you may have spent the majority of your card, but perhaps not all of it." If this describes you, you should check your balance on the website.
"You could have five, ten, or even a couple of pounds left." However, if you still have some money, put it to good use. Support your local coffee shop, newsagent, barber, taxi driver, or anyone else who was impacted by the pandemic this weekend. Every penny counts, so spend it now, all at once, and locally. ”
The Minister also reminded cardholders that, in addition to spending locally, they can help businesses by shopping safely by wearing a face mask, maintaining social distance, and using contactless payment where possible.
By visiting the DfE Spend Local page, cardholders can check their balance, view transaction history, terms and conditions, and find answers to frequently asked questions about the cards.
Editors' Notes:
1. Gordon Lyons, Economy Minister, with David Millsopp, Golf Nation store manager at Antrim's Junction Retail and Leisure Park.
2. Anyone who applied for a Spend Local Prepaid Card but has not received correspondence should contact the Department at [email protected] and provide their name and National Insurance Number. Before contacting the Department, please check your in-box (including the junk folder). On November 21, emails were sent to applicants whose information had not yet been verified, requesting proof of eligibility. Anyone who has received an email should submit their evidence using the link provided in the email; this is the quickest way to have your application approved and receive your Spend Local card.
3. Those who are eligible but were unable to apply should contact the Department at [email protected]. They must explain why they were unable to apply and provide proof of eligibility. Details on the required evidence can be found on the Department's website at the High Street Scheme - assessing eligibility page.
4. Evidence must be submitted to the Department by November 27th at 6 p.m. 00pm The Department will not accept any evidence submitted after this date.
5. The High Street Scheme will come to an end on December 14, when the Spend Local pre-paid cards will no longer be valid.
6. Each applicant was asked to provide the following information for verification purposes in order to reduce the risk of fraud and error.
- name;
- address;
- age;
- gender;
- status of disability;
- Number of National Insurance;
- email address, as well as
- mobile phone number
7. Applicants could also include their driver's license number for verification. After completing the registration process, the applicant's information was verified against a number of government databases.
Section 75 requires the Department to monitor the implementation of its policies, which includes collecting data on age, gender, and disability.
9. When an applicant receives their card, they must activate it using a computer-assisted phone system or text message and make the first payment with a pin before they can begin using it for contactless payments.
10. The cards are valid in all participating Northern Ireland businesses. They are not permitted to be used online, for gambling, or for certain financial and legal services.
On October 11, the telephone support service went live. The later opening of the phone service was implemented to encourage more people to apply online when the portal opened on September 27 and avoid using the phone line, leaving it open for those who did not have access to, or were unable to use, the internet. On October 25, it closed at 6 p.m.
12. The Department's Economic Recovery Action Plan can be found on the ERAP website.
13. To publicize its work, the Department may take photographs and videos at announcements and events. Photographs, interviews, videos, or other recordings may be distributed to media organizations for public relations purposes or used in promotional materials, such as publications, newspapers, magazines, and other print media, as well as on television, radio, and electronic media (including social media and the internet). Photographs and videos will be saved on the Department's internal records management system as well. The photographs and recordings will be kept by the Department for no longer than is necessary for the purposes for which they were obtained. Our website contains the Department's Privacy Policy.
14. To stay up to date on Department news, follow us on the following social media channels:
Twitter handle: @Economy_NI
@EconomyNI is on Facebook.
Facebook Skills to Succeed - SkillstoSucceedni
Instagram handle: economy_ni
LinkedIn - Department for the Economy Northern Ireland
15. Media inquiries should be directed to the Department for the Economy Press Office at [email protected].
16. The Executive Information Service provides an after-hours service for media inquiries only between 1800hrs and 0800hrs Monday through Friday, as well as weekends and public holidays. The press officer on duty can be reached at 028 9037 8110.
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