Food vouchers will be delivered to pensioners between September 1 and October 15

Róbert Zsigó explained that the paper-based vouchers are produced by the Hungarian State Treasury and delivered by the Hungarian Post. The HUF 30,000 in vouchers will be issued in several denominations – 5,000, 3,000, 2,000 and 1,000 forints – and can be used until December 31, after which they expire. The vouchers cannot be exchanged for cash but can be supplemented with cash – he added.

The vouchers can be used at markets, rural small shops, local producers, and major multinational retail chains to purchase cold food, but not for hot meals.
The support is available to everyone receiving old-age pensions or pension-like benefits (such as orphan’s allowance or disability annuity), the state secretary confirmed.

Zsigó recalled that in March the government decided to act against “unjustified price increases” using every possible tool. As a result of the profit margin cap, the prices of 841 out of 1,000 food items dropped by an average of 20.1%; in more than 200 cases, the reduction ranged between 30–50%.

In drugstores, the prices of 414 products dropped by an average of 26.1%, and 141 items saw reductions between 30–60%.
He added that government negotiations also helped reduce bank and telecom service fees, and pharmaceutical manufacturers have lowered the prices of several medicines. Wages are increasing, the 13th month pension has been guaranteed by law, and family tax allowances are being raised – he noted.

Speaking on Kossuth Radio, Zsigó also mentioned that postal workers will attempt delivery only once. If recipients are not at home, they can collect the envelope from the post office within 10 days based on the notice left. The Hungarian State Treasury (MÁK) has published a Q&A section on its website addressing the most frequently asked questions – he concluded.