OK so users will be limited to the one supermarket

but the lucky (aside from needing emergency handouts) people of  Birmingham will be able to benefit from the ASDA Price Guarantee!

So if they could have brought their strictly regulated allowable goods cheaper elsewhere ASDA will surely refund the difference like they advertise on TV ... or will that only apply to decent people using cash, or proper debit and credit cards.

Asda has partnered the UK's biggest local authority to provide emergency welfare to some of the country's poorest people.

Birmingham council, which represents around 1 million people, said that from 1 April Monday it would give out crisis welfare payments in the form of prepaid cards that could be redeemed only in Asda supermarkets.

The Labour authority said the cards – which Asda said were similar to their gift cards – would restrict spending to a list of predetermined goods, which would exclude tobacco, alcohol, phone-related expenditure and fuel.

How jolly public spirited and splendid of ASDA, eh to facilitate this 

Asda said: "We responded to an approach from Birmingham city council, which was looking for a simple way of delivering social fund payments to claimants.

"Making money available via Asda gift cards rather than cash is a safe way to ensure claimants have access to a huge range of products at low prices, and is an efficient use of the public purse."

And nothing whatsoever to be gained by ASDA in having this "locked in to only using us" scheme obviously.  

So why did Labour controlled Birmingham decide to go with ASDA?

Asked why Birmingham was restricting choice by partnering only with Asda, a council spokesman said the chain had been "the only main supermarket in the city willing to work with the council".