Spend Local card: Advice group 'being called all time' over problems

A charity has said it is getting phone calls "all the time" from people having problems with the £100 Spend Local cards.

Bob Stronge from Advice NI said some people had still not received their cards, while others had payments rejected when trying to use them.

The £145m scheme was set up to boost sales for businesses that were badly affected by the coronavirus pandemic.

More than 1.3 million cards have been dispatched to applicants.

About a million have been activated.

Mr Stronge said it could be "quite embarrassing for people" when their Spend Local card was rejected.

"We're hearing stories... [and] certainly even some acquaintances and friends have been telling me that that they're trying to use the card but it is being rejected," he told BBC News NI.

"There's something obviously around the technology.

"There are difficulties, I think, just for people using that and I don't know whether the systems, whatever platforms they're using, are not quite working so well.

"We're getting phone calls into advice agencies all the time now about that and also about the verification problem."

Mr Stronge said his card had been turned down three times.

Callers to BBC Radio Ulster's Talkback programme explained some of the problems they had had.

A man from Banbridge, County Down, said he and his wife had tried to use their cards in Belfast but both had been rejected.

Another caller said his had been rejected in every shop in which he had tried to use it.

Angela from west Belfast told BBC News NI that she and several other members of her family had all applied for the card as the same time but only her son had received his.

"My son did himself, my husband and my daughters all at the same time," she said.

"He received his about two or three weeks ago but we haven't - we did get the verification but we still haven't received anything.

"Every time I phone [to ask about it] I'm getting an answering machine and I give up.

"It's the length of time that you're given now to spend it - what if I don't get it before the time's up to spend it?"

That concern was echoed by John White from Castlewellan, County Down, who applied for the card from hospital the day after the scheme opened only to be told his national insurance number had already been used.

He said he has had contact with the Department for the Economy but has yet to receive his card.

"Yesterday I had to send in proof that I was who I said I was," he said.

"I sent that in thinking I would get a confirmation email but there's been no word back yet saying they've actually received it."

"I don't work, I spend a lot of time in hospital and that £100 to me is like £1,000.

"I'm just absolutely scared of missing it and I'm wondering for people like myself who have tried to activate their cards: is there going to be an extension for me to spend that money?

"I understand that they're going to extend it for another two weeks but realistically, even if all that information goes through, you're talking another fortnight before I get that card.

"So that means I have a very short window to spend that money and I need that much [time]."

Roisin McAliskey from the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) said that the Spend Local scheme had been having a positive effect for businesses hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic.

"We've had quite good feedback from the FSB membership on it," she said.

"I suppose it will be the case that it will be the negative stories that people want to share and tell you about."

On Monday Economy Minister Gordon Lyons said more than £50m had been spent in the retail, hospitality and service sectors through the scheme.

He said "traders have reported a noticeable uplift in footfall" and it was "vital that these cards are all activated and used".

"For anyone who has some balance left on their card, no matter how small, I urge you to use every penny and spend it locally," he said.