Iceland shoppers living in Glasgow and the Strathclyde area will be offered a voucher from their local store.
It comes amid the cost of living crisis which has seen the likes of energy and shopping bills, as well as petrol, soar.
Pensioners who are eligible for the voucher will be given a voucher for the sum of £30 which can be spent on food and "other essentials".
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The voucher is part of a 'Summer Cheer' campaign which will run 296 stores nationwide after the frozen goods company partnered with pensions insurance specialist, Rothesay, to roll out £1m worth of support to pensioners living in poverty.
The campaign, according to Yorkshire Live, will remain in place until September 16 of this year, helping to provide financial support to local, pension-age residents, who are living independently or with a carer and rely solely on a state pension and benefits. It is hoped that the campaign will help some 40,000 pensioners who are struggling with the cost of living crisis.
Although the campaign has been rolled out nationwide, not every Iceland store will be taking part in the scheme. This is because it is being rolled out in areas identified as the places where there are some of the highest numbers of pensioners living in material deprivation.
What Iceland stores are handing out the £30 vouchers?
The campaign is also being rolled out across Iceland stores in the following locations:
- Glasgow
- Strathclyde
- Greater Manchester
- Liverpool
- Wirral
- Newcastle North
- Sunderland
- Birmingham
- West Midlands
- Glamorgan
- Newport
- North Wales
- Lambeth
- Croydon
Richard Walker, managing director of Iceland, 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."
Why are Iceland handing out vouchers?
The partnership between Iceland and Rothesay was launched following research by Age UK, which shows that 1.7million pensioners were living in poverty in 2020/2021. This equates to 15 per cent of all pensioners.
Over 770,000 pensioner households (single people or couples) are also missing out on Pension Credit payments, worth around £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.
With the cost-of-living crisis now upon us, the Rothesay Foundation and Iceland are also working with Age UK to highlight ways that older people can claim all of the benefits and support they are entitled to, in order to help them cope financially in these difficult times.
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."
Hannorah Lee, director of partnerships at Age UK added: "Many older people are really worried about soaring food and energy prices and are facing impossible choices such as whether they can afford to buy fresh food or turn their heating on during the colder weather. At the same time over £1.5 billion benefits go unclaimed by older people every year.
"We encourage any older person who is worried about money and thinks they might be entitled to some help to contact Age UK by calling its national advice line, free of charge, on 0800 16965 65 (8am-7pm), visiting www.ageuk.org.uk/money, or contacting their local Age UK for free information and advice."
How to claim Iceland's £30 voucher
To pick up the £30 Summer Cheer voucher from your local Iceland store, eligible pensioners should call the Summer Cheer hotline on 0800 098 7877. The telephone line will be open from 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday.
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