Thousands of state pensioners 'identified' for free £125 supermarket vouchers
Thousands of pensioner households in the Midlands are set to receive £125 supermarket vouchers in the post. Local authority chiefs have drawn up a list of low income households that will receive the financial support.
The supermarket vouchers will be posted out to pensioners living in Dudley. A total of 2,989 pension-age residents have been 'identified' by Dudley Council to receive the support.
It comes after the metropolitan borough was issued £2,625,519 worth of funding by central government to support residents with the cost of living crisis. In total, £421million of funding has been issued to local authorities across the country by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), as part of its Household Support Fund (HSF).
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Dudley Council said households which will receive the supermarket vouchers will be those who do not qualify for Pension Credit. However they can receive support with housing benefit and council tax to be eligible.
Eligible households will be issued the funding automatically, they won't have to apply. A spokesperson for Dudley Council said: "Targeted financial support will be provided to pensioners who do not receive pension credit but do receive support with housing benefit and council tax.
"We have identified 2,989 pension age residents who will be eligible. Those eligible will receive a £125 supermarket card to help offset increases in the cost of living.
"The cards will be issued automatically to those pensioners that have been identified."