Small claims - Gift card from council

sheramber

This weekend (over easter break) I went to activate the card as I was ready to use but the portal was closed

It seems the OP only went to activate it when they wanted to use it, rather than activating it right away, which would have meant it was valid for 12 months.

HillStreetBlues

born_again said:

Certainly did not get anything like that round here. 
Yorkshire folk would have had it activated & spent in the 1st week of receiving.😍

Op has not said what date card was received unless it relates to  17th Feb. I received both soon after the stated dates. So why wait to activate, given the 12 months to use?

If I had no plans to spend it straight away I would want the expiry date as long as possible.
So if I have been told I have 3 months to activate it then I would wait to nearly the 3 months are up.

If I'm told to activate it by 31st March I would,  no doubt the OP would have as well.

lincroft1710

To return to the OP's original question, as it seems to have been an actual gift, I don't think there is scope to take this to Small Claims.

HillStreetBlues

lincroft1710 said:

To return to the OP's original question, as it seems to have been an actual gift, I don't think there is scope to take this to Small Claims.

On reading further I don't see it as a gift.
It's money  the Scottish Government gave to Aberdeen City Council as part of the Covid recovery fund.
Aberdeen City Council decided to use a gift card that can only be used locally to redistribute that money.

powerspowers

I think this is Household Support Fund delegated to Scottish givirnment and then to local authorities.  There’s something in the guidance about “committed spend” so should have been able to activate after the date. 

Edit- sorry I’m getting confused. It’s not HSF it’s covid economic recovery which is a different pot. The below points still stand though 😃

However I suspect council were trying to balance their books before the scheme closed 31.3.23. 

I’d start with official complaint to the council, get your local councillor involved

tightauldgit

HillStreetBlues said:

lincroft1710 said:

To return to the OP's original question, as it seems to have been an actual gift, I don't think there is scope to take this to Small Claims.

On reading further I don't see it as a gift.
It's money  the Scottish Government gave to Aberdeen City Council as part of the Covid recovery fund.
Aberdeen City Council decided to use a gift card that can only be used locally to redistribute that money.

I'm not sure if it's technically a gift but if the council have discretion on how to distribute the funds then I don't think you have any comeback if you don't receive them - if the government had stipulated every household was to receive £125 or whatever then I think you would be able to complain if you didnt receive it. 

I think as someone else hinted at the problem would be that councils cant really carry these funds over from one year to the next so it had to be spent by the end of March - probably nobody thought of this when they announced it and then someone pointed it out to them. 

born_again

Don't see how activation of the card before end of March makes any difference to the council budget. They will have bought & paid from the cards out of the funds given at the time.

tightauldgit

born_again said:

Don't see how activation of the card before end of March makes any difference to the council budget. They will have bought & paid from the cards out of the funds given at the time.

Possibly. I assumed they would have done a deal where they only paid for cards actually redeemed because you have to think that a lot of them wouldn't be in a scheme like this. Otherwise there's really no reason to put any time limit on it at all. 

sheramber

born_again said:

Don't see how activation of the card before end of March makes any difference to the council budget. They will have bought & paid from the cards out of the funds given at the time.

In that case why not just send the card out?

Why would there need to be an activation code?

born_again

sheramber said:

born_again said:

Don't see how activation of the card before end of March makes any difference to the council budget. They will have bought & paid from the cards out of the funds given at the time.

In that case why not just send the card out?

Why would there need to be an activation code?

So someone does not realise what they are and take them for themselves. Basic security to ensure only the people entitled get & use them. 👍