Letters being sent to households eligible to receive a £105 Scotland Loves Local Glasgow Gift Card from Glasgow City Council contain critical information and should not be thrown away.

Envelopes branded Love local, love Glasgow are dropping through the letterboxes of 85,000 homes across the city, confirming that they will receive a gift card later this month (August).

The letter inside MUST BE KEPT SAFE pending receipt of the gift card itself.

Each letter contains details unique to each household about the card activation process. Without these, the gift cards cannot be used.

Councillor Susan Aitken, Leader of Glasgow City Council, said: “It’s really important that people keep this letter safe, so they are able to activate their card and enjoy all the benefits of shopping local.”

The council is using the cards to provide financial support to help low-income households cope with the cost-of-living crisis.

This money is channelled directly back into local businesses because the cards can only be spent with those who have a physical presence in the city and are registered to accept them.

More than 700 businesses are already signed up for people to spend the gift cards with them - and numbers are growing. This will ensure that they can benefit not only from the multi-million pound council disbursement scheme, but the wider Scotland Loves Local Glasgow Gift Card programme.

Councillor Aitken added: “The 85,000 cards that we’ll soon be sending out will secure a double benefit for communities across Glasgow.

“They will give extra spending power to lower-income households, right across the city, at a time when they are facing the worst pressures in decades – but they will also deliver a much-needed economic stimulus and a real boost to local businesses in our high streets, while they are still recovering from the covid pandemic.”

Funding for the council disbursement project has come via a £9.45m Covid Economic Recovery Funding package awarded to Glasgow City Council by the Scottish Government.

The gift card is an extension of the wider Scotland Loves Local campaign, which encourages people to think, choose and spend locally to support businesses in their area to build a better future for communities.

Glasgow Times:

How do I know whether I’ll receive a Scotland Loves Local Glasgow Gift Card from Glasgow City Council?

Households which were in receipt of Council Tax Reduction as of June 1 2022 are eligible for a gift card to the value of £105. These will be sent to the named council tax account holder. Those households who have received an exemption, or which have applied for Council Tax Reduction after June 2 are not eligible.

If I’m eligible, what do I need to do to obtain my Scotland Loves Local Glasgow Gift Card?

Nothing. If your household is one of the 85,000 eligible, you will receive a letter informing you. This also explains how to activate your card. These details are unique to your household. They must be kept safe, pending receipt of your card. You will not be able to activate your card without them.

When can I expect my Scotland Loves Local Glasgow Gift Card to arrive from Glasgow City Council?

Glasgow City Council and its project partners expect the cards to arrive with recipients in mid-August.

I’m not eligible to receive a card from Glasgow City Council. Can I still support local businesses by spending using a Scotland Loves Local Glasgow Gift Card, or send one to someone I know?

Yes. Scotland Loves Local Glasgow Gift Cards are available for anyone to buy, in the same way that any other gift card is. You simply choose the amount you would like to load on to them. They can be used by people who simply want to support local businesses, as a gift to a loved one or friend or as a reward for staff or volunteers. They allow everyone to enjoy the very best that the city has to offer. You can purchase a gift card here.

How do I ensure my business benefits from the Scotland Loves Local Glasgow Gift Card?

It is free to register your business to accept the Scotland Loves Local Glasgow Gift Card. The only requirements are that your business must have a physical presence in Glasgow and a Mastercard terminal. The registration process is easy to follow. Please click here to find out more.

Where can I find out more information about the Scotland Loves Local Glasgow Gift Card?

Head to www.glasgow.gov.uk/loveslocal