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!

Exactly. People seem to think Blue Light Card is some kind of philanthropic enterprise when it is actually just a profit making business. It was sold by the founders last year I think so I guess this is a decision by the new owners.

What code? The card just has your name, expiry date and card number. No retailer specific code

They aren’t paid for all of the holidays. On average, they’re paid for about 46 weeks of the year.

Cos we’re human, it used to be good, it’s less so. But what has become clear is business model will just keep prices high to give such a large percentage of the work force a ‘discount’. My DH has access to almost the exact same discounts through his own employee benefit scheme. He works for a major drinks company, there’s no charity or reward here, it’s become clear that the consumer will suck up the costs of the discounts ultimately.

The reason I’m arguing with you is because you say, I’m having a go at teachers. I’ve not had a go at teachers at all, I just think it’s all become a bit of a farce.

so many times i forget to use mine
last used at Bills - edit, connected with my Asda Rewards, though the deal has reduced since this month

Cos we’re human, it used to be good, it’s less so.

And that’s the real reason you’re here. I don’t suppose you’ve ranted at your DH about his work scheme putting up prices for you.

We actually have discussed that very same thing previously!!
You need to stop the self victimisation.

“At this point it’s very clear, you are just trying to stoke unpleasantness.”

I can’t believe you’re trying to argue with someone making the point that prices should be cheaper across the board for everyone and get rid of all discount schemes. My ire is against the retailers and this false idea of discounts. You keep trying to make it about teachers.

Indeed, perhaps you should give up using your discount scheme as a point of principle rather than moaning that it isn’t as generous as it used to be.

It seems you were happy with the discount scheme until it became less valuable to you.

Maybe I should/will but it would feel like cutting off my nose to spite my face.
Sure I used to like it but as I’ve learned more and thought more about it, I’m starting to realise it’s all a big con designed to make people feel grateful for paying prices they should be paying in the first place.

Just want to say that I agree with you. Trying to get your point across to someone who is deliberately choosing to ignore what you're saying for the sake of trying to have an argument, must be frustrating.

I'm struggling to understand why anyone who is not a teacher or school support staff (as mentioned in the OP) is even interested in posting on this thread.
I hadn't heard about this except from you, OP, so thank you for the heads up.

I'm not ignoring what is being said.

The PP is pissed off that her discount scheme is 'being diluted'. She is trying to pivot this into an argument that no one should have a discount scheme to try to justify her previous comment which was basically a moan about teachers getting her 'perk'.

Have a few police and NHS friends. Not one of them has ever been allowed blue light discount without showing the card, whether it’s the physical card or the electronic card within the app. Some shops do other discounts for NHS staff that aren’t blue light but they won’t get these without a card.

Same all the loyalty schemes in supermarkets, I’m sure the Clubcard or nectar or whatever price is the actual price of the product!

It's not a 'perk'. It's a marketing opportunity.

Discounts have reduced because businesses (retailers AND the referral company) want to keep more of the profit. The scope has been widened to encompass school staff, along with

• NHS
• Police Service
• Ambulance Service
• Fire Service
• HM Prison Service/HMPPS
• Dental Practice
• HM Armed Forces
• HM Coastguard
• MoD Civil Servant
• MoD Fire Service
• MoD Police
• Highway Traffic OfficersHome Office - ID required: Payslip or trusted email domain.
• RNLI - ID Required: ID card or payslip or trusted email domain.
• Social Care - Care Company Workforce - Company must be on either the CQC, RQIA, Care Inspectorate Scotland or Care Inspectorate Wales to be eligible.ID Required: ID card or Payslip or trusted email domain.
• Social Care - Social Worker - ID Required: ID card, Payslip or SWE/SCW/SSSC/NISCC number.
• Social Care - Care Home - ID Required: ID card or Payslip.
• Social Care - Residential Care - ID Required: ID card or Payslip.
• Social Care - Council (Working in Care Sector) - ID Required: ID card or Payslip (if these do not state job role, please include a contract alongside).
• Social Care - Foster Carer - ID Required: ID card.
• Pharmacy Workers - ID Required: ID card or Payslip.
• Social Care – Personal Assistant - ID Required: Independent Living Group Personal Assistant ID card.
• St John Ambulance - ID Required: ID Card or payslip or trusted email domain.
• Optometry - ID Required: Driving License, Passport, Birth Certificate, EEA Member State Identity Card, UK Residence Permit or National Identity Card.
• Armed Forces Veterans - ID required: Armed forces pension, Certificate of Service, Veterans ID card or Certificate of Discharge. If you do not have any of these documents, you can contact Veterans UK on 0808 1914 2 18 and they will be able to assist.
• RAC - ID required: ID card.

It's not a 'perk'. It's a marketing opportunity.
This.
They make it such a tedious pain to use that I don't often bother. Having to sign up to another third party website to get codes and vouchers.

Shame this turned into yet another teacher bashing thread. There are lots of vacancies for those who think the job is so well paid with so little effort. Why not apply?

It's fascinating how many teachers are accusing other posters of saying the job is easy. I haven't seen ANY posts saying that the job is easy or that anyone could do it! This is always the issue - the self victimisation.

Posters are saying that teachers are well paid (even despite not being paid for all the holidays); and teachers also get a decent amount of holidays.

People tend to become teachers KNOWING how tricky the job is, and KNOWING the salary, and because they WANT to help kids who need help and kids in crisis.

@noblegiraffe Thank you OP for posting. I would have not known about it if you hadn’t. Please ignore the silly people on here - they are just looking for a fight! You did nothing wrong and you are a very kind person for taking time out of your life to inform other teachers about this too. Thank you x

Posters are saying that teachers are well paid (even despite not being paid for all the holidays); and teachers also get a decent amount of holidays.

I fail to see what any of that has to do with being able to sign up to a discount card.

But why are they coming on and reminding us of our pay and holidays on a thread that's about a discount card? It makes no sense to me. It's fascinating how people can't bear for teachers to have something nice !

I could say the NHS staff have some better pay policies e.g. maternity pay, than teachers. But I don't need to, because this is about a bloody discount code.

You would think, from the fuss made about it, that teachers were campaigning to steal NHS staff pensions or something 😂

In time I suspect this will become a discount card that anyone can subscribe to.

The first comment that triggered it going in that direction was the teacher who said teachers are emergency workers 🤦🏼‍♀️🤷🏼‍♀️

Thank you for letting us know this OP.

Don't get me wrong, I'm glad they are included but why are jobs such as GP receptionists included in this scheme? If the argument is it should only be for those involved in emergency services...how is a GP receptionist carrying out a potentially life threatening job?

Also, to the poster who thinks teachers earn 40k...I've been teaching for five years. I can assure you I earn nowhere near that.

Brilliant that teachers have been included in this. Maybe they will change the name of it eventually to put a stop the constant teacher bashing...