07 July 2011
The States has agreed a 3 year extension of the Food Costs Bonus scheme. The bonus for 2011 will be worth £193.36.
The bonus is available to households that do not receive Income Support and do not pay Income Tax. Application forms have already been sent to households that received the bonus last year.
The Minister for Social Security, Deputy Ian Gorst, commented "The States has agreed to support this scheme for another 3 years. The bonus helps households who are just above the Income Support level with the cost of food and the GST on food. The new rate takes full account of the increase in GST from June.
"At the moment about 2,000 families receive the bonus. We think that there are a considerable number of extra families that are also eligible for the bonus. The value of the bonus has increased from £50 in 2008 to nearly £200 in 2011. People who do not receive Income Support or pay Income Tax should check on the website or with Social Security to see if they qualify.
"In particular, we know that many pensioner households have not yet claimed this bonus and we will be liaising with the Senior Citizens Association and the Citizens Advice Bureau to encourage pensioners to apply. If you did not claim the bonus last year, you can download an application form from the website or collect a form from the Social Security Department.”
Food Costs Bonus (benefit and financial support section)
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