The Department for the Economy has announced that the High Street £100 Voucher Scheme will be commencing on a date after Sunday 12 September.
Get your shopping bags ready this weekend! The highly-anticipated High Street £100 Voucher Scheme in Northern Ireland is launching in the coming days.
The Department for the Economy has announced that the voucher scheme is officially starting on a date after 12 September.
What is it? – £100 voucher scheme for every person over 18
The objective of the £140 million scheme is to help stimulate the local economy by encouraging the population to return to high-street shops.
The High Street £100 Voucher Scheme is being offered to everyone living in Northern Ireland over the age of 18.
Voucher scheme limits – is it available to anyone under 18?
Several politicians have pushed for the voucher scheme to be offered to 16 and 17 years olds also.
However, the Department for Economy officials have confirmed that the vouchers will not be offered to older teenagers of this age group.
To ensure that you benefit from the scheme, you must register on NI Direct. Applications will close on 11 October, so don’t miss out if you’re eligible to apply.
How do I get started? – applying for the scheme
According to NICVA, you must:
- Register online on NI Direct. You will be presented with an information page on the High Street £100 Voucher Scheme. This will show a button to launch the registration process.
- Provide eight pieces of information during the registration process, including Name, Address, DOB, Gender, Disability, National Insurance Number, Driving Licence number, mobile phone number, and email address.
(Please note that all fields are mandatory except driving licence number. Inputting your driver licence number will assist the checking process for your application.)
- You can register to complete an application on behalf of a limited number of other people. However, you must have their permission and their personal details.
Following completion of the online registration process, you will receive an email confirming the receipt of the application.
The information provided will first be checked against electoral register database followed by Driver Vehicle Licencing Agency. This is an automated process with no access to your personal information.
Once your identity has been confirmed, the details required to complete the process will be sent to the pre-paid card provider.
You will receive an email to inform you that the registration process is now complete and when you should expect to receive your card.
If you are unsuccessful in the first phase of checks:
- Your identity will be checked against a further suite of government databases.
- If your identity is confirmed then your details will be forwarded to the pre-paid card provider and you will receive a confirmation email.
- If your application is unsuccessful, you will be informed and directed to the appeals process.
After successfully applying – how does the voucher work?
Once you receive your card you will be required to verify it by SMS, phone, or on the computer before you are able to use it. You will be able to use it alongside other forms of payment subject to the merchant’s agreement.
You will be provided with a £100 pre-paid card which can be used in any local business with debit/credit card technology.
The card can be used in card terminals that include a swipe facility as well as a pin facility.
You can use the card to order and pay over the phone to purchase services from local businesses.
However, you will not be able to purchase online service or products, to pay for financial services or to purchase legal services.
