Regulation 5 Redemption of vouchers
The full value of a voucher, whether a money voucher or a time voucher, shall be redeemed within one year beginning with the date of its issue and any voucher not so redeemed shall become void.
For the purposes of paragraph (1), a voucher is redeemed—
on the day on which the service that is secured against the value of the voucher is delivered; or
in the case of such a service being supplied over a period which exceeds one day (whether continuous or not), on the last day on which any service that is secured against the value of the voucher is supplied.
A voucher shall only be redeemable for services supplied by—
the local authority that issued the voucher (the “issuing authority”); or
a relevant supplier of services.
Where the voucher holder indicates to the issuing authority that
he wants to redeem a voucher for a service; and
he wishes that service to be supplied by a preferred supplier (within the meaning of paragraph (5)), paragraph (6) shall apply.
A preferred supplier is someone other than the issuing authority or a supplier referred to in paragraph (3)(b).
In the circumstances described in paragraph (4), the issuing authority shall enter into a contract with the preferred supplier provided that the preferred supplier is a supplier of services and—
in the case of time vouchers, the preferred supplier agrees—
to supply the same service as is specified on the voucher,
to supply that service at the same cost that the issuing authority would usually expect to pay for that service, and
to the issuing authority’s usual terms and conditions; and
in the case of money vouchers, the preferred supplier agrees to the issuing authority’s usual terms and conditions.
If the service user ceases to be ordinarily resident in the issuing authority’s area without the full value of any vouchers held in relation to him being redeemed, any vouchers which have not been redeemed on the day on which that person ceases to be so ordinarily resident must be returned to the issuing authority.