Teachers and school support staff now eligible for a Blue Light card

[noblegiraffe]

In case any teachers don't follow Mr P and aren't aware, teachers and school support staff (including sixth form colleges) have been added to the list of people eligible for a Blue Light card. If you pay £4.99, you get two years of discounts at multiple places.

https://teachers.bluelightcard.co.uk

Because teachers love a bargain there's currently over an hour waiting time to sign up, but it was only announced yesterday so will hopefully calm down soon.

It feels nice to be recognised as essential community workers!

Not sure whether Vivup does different packages for different areas, but for ours you have to purchase through salary sacrifice which means effectively lower wages and a small decrease in pension too - something to consider certainly for younger employees, as it could have a big impact in future (if they carry on just spending a bit each month over a long period).

Only just learned that teachers are now eligible to apply for a Blue Light card.

I know why they have allowed this, it's obvious. They want to expose themselves to a wider audience - it's a business, it's an opportunity to increase revenue.

However, my honest opinion is that it's ridiculous that teachers (and support staff?!) are allowed this.
Where is the vehicle fleet with audible/visual warning equipment in the car park?

They may as well rename the card to 'Public Sector Discounts'.

As a member myself, it devalues the perk (of which are few) even more so.

Did you ask about vehicles with audible warning equipment in the car part when optometrists were added?

What does the comment about vehicles mean?

I don't understand why people are so fixated on the name. It's just the name of a business that has expanded. My friend does the payroll of a three branch high street optician. When she uses her card when we go out for lunch the blokes the till isn't swooning over her because he thinks she's a paramedic.

Changing the name of an existing business is a big undertaking. It's expensive.

So teachers, who like NHS staff, haven't had a salary increase inline with inflation for years, devalue this perk of yours by also having it?

Thanks.

@usernamealreadytaken with the part of Vivup I use I just buy them as vouchers. So £50 ASDA vouchers costs £48. £50 IKEA cost £46.50 etc

Where is the vehicle fleet with audible/visual warning equipment in the car park?

When Bob walks across the school car park in front of cars, he gets an audible and visible warning. Does that count?

Yeah, agreed, everyone should be getting an inflation pay rise. But just to clarify, it's not just public sector who haven't been getting it - I don't know a single person who's had anything more than 2 or 3 % for years.

Blue light have got a good business going there although I guess they need to keep expanding to meet their growth targets. I wonder which group of workers they'll add next.

The next customer base with a relatively stable average wage income, high likelihood of kids to buy trainers for and easily manipulated to think it's a favour and not a bog standard marketing tool would appreciate the special offers they can just as easily get through another clickthrough site like Quidco?

Local Authority employees. Everybody who works for the council, not just social workers or foster carers.

I agree. It's a clever move making people think they've got a good exclusive deal.

Education workers can get a free Tastecard for 12 months

https://www.discountsforteachers.co.uk/offer?offer=tastecard-exclusive-12-month-free-membership-for-teachers-28504&oid=28504&queryID=c5d68a1fb1eb955e43e46d0cd80ec776&position=1

Thank you. Have just signed up! Just to say that it's an automatic renewal at £29.99 for the next year if you don't cancel it before 😉

i don’t think education support such as TA’s are included.

did any education support applied for the card?

Pretty sure TAs are included in the blue light scheme (and definitely in discountsforteachers).

Teachers? Emergency workers?? I'd like to see them on the front line during all these riots. Taking a battering. All for rubbish pay and 29 days holiday, plus working shifts, no term time. Super proud of our police, ambulance and fire crews they are the true emergency workers.

Oh dear.

Tbf they’d probably do a really good job. Imagine having to do all that AND teach the rioters Maths and English while they’re at it.

I’ve noticed that you din’t get the discounts on BLC that you used to. Many companies don’t offer discounts anymore. Its still worth it though, but not as good as it used to be!

Children from wealthy families are also vulnerable. Being wealthy doesn't prevent life changing accidents, disease and disability. Doesn't stop grandparents getting dementia,. Doesn't prevent parents from engaging in drug and alcohol abuse and nor does it prevent mental health problems. Plenty of domestic abuse occurs amongst the wealthy and children who are left alone after school by parents working long hours are just as vulnerable to gangs, sexual exploitation and county lines as children on sink estates with limited adult supervision. Having money doesn't prevent child abuse. Nor does it prevent relationship breakdown, separation, divorce and the complexities of blended families. Moreover, private school children almost universally experience high parental expectation and the stresses that go along with that sometimes leading to stress and anxiety, eating disorders, drug and alcohol abuse.

Independent schools are nor full of carefree children, skipping down corridors with their bags stuffed full of money. Shit happens to rich people as well. Sure, having cash to throw at many issues is helpful, but it can't prevent all off the above.

End.of the day, teachers are teachers and if state school teachers deserve discounts, it's hard to argue independent school teachers don't. Same job. Often paid less (sometimes more) than their state school colleagues.

DH works in a private school so I'm well aware, thanks.

I was just guessing why they were excluded based on a PP's question.

I'd swap the sometimes and often in your final sentence to be fair.

Teachers? Emergency workers?? I'd like to see them on the front line during all these riots. Taking a battering. All for rubbish pay and 29 days holiday, plus working shifts, no term time. Super proud of our police, ambulance and fire crews they are the true emergency workers.

But they aren't getting 14% off pizza express because of being battered in riots.

They are getting it because the five directors of the private company that run Blue Light Card have decided that they can have one.

People don't run business how you think they run them if you think like that. They run them to earn money.

Costco, the multinational company, makes all of its profit on membership cards.