Do I have to have goods of the value of the healthy start vouchers?

[chloem93]

Hi,

Don't know if I'm posting in the right place but oh well.

I'm mainly asking to see if anyone knows if it states in any sort of policy or if I should call up and ask them.

I popped into Tesco Express today and with a healthy start voucher which is £3.10. I went to the tills with a pack of strawberries and the man at the tills pointed at the voucher and said these strawberries are £1.50 so I went and got two packets instead so I would make the most of the voucher, which made the total come to £3. I got someone else this time, she scanned it and said I have to use the whole voucher so I have to buy something else. I told her I don't want change, I just want to use the whole 3.10 voucher to get these £3 strawberries. She said it wasn't going through on her till because I have to spend the full amount.
Is this correct? Is there anywhere in the healthy start policy that says I have to use the whole amount of the voucher?
I checked the book that came with the vouchers and have looked online and couldn't find any such thing written anywhere. I felt like she was trying to make me buy something extra unnecessarily because well, what fruit or veg will only come to 10p? Nothing, so I would have had to spend an extra pound or so of my own money on something I didn't want or need. Obviously I refused and left the shop without anything which I felt kind of angry about because like I said, I'm sure it doesn't state anywhere in the policy that I have to have items that use the full 3.10 of the voucher. Am I wrong? 

They can't give change and it would be fraudulent of them to claim the full £3.10 from the healthy start scheme when they only sold £3 of products. They can't just claim back part of it either. They send in the vouchers which they've received.

You need to spend the full amount.

You could have had a small single banana. That's about 14p.
Also the policy is same as PP has stated, they can't claim £3 back, they have to claim the fill £3.10 which if it wasn't used it fraud.
Also I'm pretty sure the till itself just won't accept the coupon unless it's another value.

Yep, you have to spend the whole voucher.

I'm actually surprised these still exist. Thought the Tories would have done away with them ages ago.