11,300 households in receipt of council tax reduction in Aberdeenshire will receive a £100 pre-paid gift card later this month to help people with the cost of living.
Aberdeenshire Council said £1.33 million was being invested in the Scotland Loves Local Gift Card, to help people make ends meet.
The scheme will support households in Aberdeenshire with the challenges around the cost of living and is being financed by the Scottish Government, through its Local Authority Covid Economic Recovery Fund.
It is hoped to provide a much-needed boost for businesses signed up to the scheme, particularly as they recover from the Covid-19 pandemic.
200 businesses are already set up to accept the card.
The card can be used in any of the participating stores and can also be used online at participating retailers, provided that they have a physical presence in Aberdeenshire.
A letter with an activation code will be issued to households from today, which will be followed by a second letter containing the gift cards a week later.
‘We hope it will ease the financial pressures on residents’
Aberdeenshire Council leader, Mark Findlater said: “We know just how challenging a time it is for many households within our communities right now and by frontloading this money onto the gift card we hope it will ease the financial pressures on residents.
“Not only will this financial support help households, it will also drive significant spending and keep that spend local right here in Aberdeenshire at a time when many of our businesses are still recovering from the pandemic while facing spiralling material costs and utility bills.
He added: “I very much welcome this initiative and would take this opportunity to encourage all businesses across the region to sign up to our Loves Local Gift Card so they can start reaping the benefits of the scheme.”
In December, more than 14,000 gift cards were distributed to to low-income households by Aberdeen City Council.
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