The City Council of Santa Cruz, through the Municipal Institute of Social Care (IMAS), has opened a new call for collaboration with companies interested in offering the food card, a document through which the Economic Benefits of Social Care are paid (PEAS). One of the main novelties of this call is that, on this occasion, the card process will be open for the four years that the agreement lasts, so that all supermarkets that meet the conditions can join the agreement at any time. of colaboration. These conditions happen, mainly, by having at least one establishment in each of the districts. The only exception will be that of Anaga, which, given its nature, makes it difficult to comply with this condition, so, where appropriate, it will be allowed to have an establishment in a nearby district or neighboring municipalities.
The Councilor for Social Action, Rosario González, gave an account of the conditions of this new call at the last Governing Council of the IMAS, held last Thursday. As she pointed out to DIARIO DE AVISOS, “with this modification we take another step to dignify the attention to users of social services, so that they can use the food card in any company that joins the agreement.” “In addition, with this agreement it will remain open for the four years of its duration. If there is a supermarket that does not comply now, it may be that in the coming years it will and can join this collaboration framework, ”she said.
Until now, only one company complied with the main condition of having a store in each district (HiperDino) and, according to the CEO of IMAS, “there are already some other entities that have been interested in being part of this agreement”, ensuring that, “almost certainly, the company that now offers the cards will participate again”. The mayor insisted that, with this measure, “we dignify the attention to families, who will be able to choose the supermarket in which they want to make their purchases.”
With the food card, referrals from families to the Food Bank and collaborating entities have been reduced, allowing families to receive their economic benefit directly on the card.
It must be taken into account that the IMAS food cards have a duration of one year and are recharged with the periodicity estimated by the social workers of the Social Work Units (UTS), in which each of the cases of the individuals and families that benefit from these food PEAS.
With this measure, it is intended that people do not have to go to the UTS to renew the benefit, but rather, based on the situation report, it is the UTS that establishes the recharge periods (monthly, bimonthly, quarterly, etc.). This benefit heads the list of those granted by the IMAS, growing by more than 21,000 so far this year. Currently, the amount of these cards is 150 euros for families with one member; 190, for those of two; 240, for those of three; 280, for those with four, and 300, for those with five or more members. These amounts, according to the Councilor for Social Action, will be maintained for the time being, and may be varied in the future, after the corresponding technical assessment.
Functioning
The IMAS will endorse to the collaborating companies the amount of the aid granted to the beneficiaries and incorporated in the cards or electronic documents, to the extent that they consume their balance when acquiring the basic products.
The cards will allow the purchase of food products (including fresh food) and hygiene and cleaning products. Tobacco, alcoholic beverages and beauty and/or aesthetic products that are determined are expressly excluded, for which purpose the collaborating company must have an electronic system that allows product discrimination.
In order to respond to the basic subsistence needs of people with reduced mobility or who, for other reasons, cannot go to the reference shops of the new system, after an assessment by the UTS, the collaborating companies must offer the service free of charge. home delivery of purchases made with the basic card, provided that the amount of the products purchased equals or exceeds 51% of the monthly amount of the card.
