Tyrone residents to benefit from voucher scheme

PEOPLE and businesses across Tyrone are set to benefit from a pre-paid card to be used in shops on the high street.

The new voucher scheme, which is expected to be worth between £75 to £100, will be rewarded to individuals rather than households as initially thought.

It was previously suggested that £200 will be awarded to each household in the North but it is not believed that individuals will receive a payment.

The aim of the scheme is to support local businesses which have been significantly impacted by the Covid19 restrictions and closures.

It is expected to be rolled out early next year and the card can be spent in store, not online.

The Department of Economy has yet to finalise the details of the scheme but and it is expected that it will take around six weeks to get the scheme up and running.

The budget for the vouchers is at £95m and that will also cover any administration fees a chosen provider may charge.

The announcement was made last Monday as Finance Minister, Conor Murphy announced a £300million support package including over £200m for businesses and £98m of Covid-19 funding to support the most vulnerable.