Discounts for blue light cards

[Desperatetimes2020]

This possibly makes me incredibly mean spirited, but I am getting really cross at seeing so many retailer - both national and local falling over themselves to give discounts to all blue light card holders. My friend is in the police and has been working from home the entire time with less work do do than normal. My BIL is a senior doctor who again is the quietest he has been in years. They both agree they should not be singled out for these privileges. So effectively retailers are giving discounts to those whose incomes have not been affected and are in the most secure jobs for the future. When probably about 20% of those are deserving. It's all just for PR..

Am I just a miserable cow?

Lynzpynz, you articulated it much better than I did - thank you.

As others have said the scheme has long pre dated covid though I do believe that lots of businesses who didn't offer it before have jumped on the scheme and yes I'm not sure if that's for show or genuine kindness. I asked my Dmum whether she ever uses hers and she said no as the discount tends to be on things she doesn't buy.
The op does have a point about Drs though, my Dr friends who are not involved with covid such as GP are bored twiddling there thumbs meanwhile I'm sure carers are busier than ever doing in my opinion a tougher job often without recognition.

I'm a TA I've been in school everyday since the March lockdown ....through the Easter holidays too
I've still had to queue for shipping once a week and no freebies ...

@Lulu1919 you can register on 'discounts for teachers' as a TA.

I don’t mind the discounts but the skipping the queue really annoys me. Nhs staff get their own hour to shop. I don’t mind carers skipping the queue when they are shopping for clients, fair enough. But julie who does admin two days a week in the local hospital can skip the queue?? Noooo I don’t think so.

We pay for the blue light card, and yes it's been around for years. But I do agree about NHS staff getting loads of freebies now my trust has put out a video asking for donations to go to charity or food banks.

You’re ridiculous. Should I not use the Discounts for Teachers’ card? Should my relative not use her 20% for the shop where she works? Some jobs have discounts/bonuses, should everyone refuse to use them?

Nasty and mean spirited.

I love the blue light card. I buy frequently from New Look and River Island and its a good saving. Not the mention the recent 30% off at Jd Sports.

I’ve got a blue light card, which I signed up for and paid for last year.
I’m currently on maternity leave and have been making good use of the discounts throughout my maternity leave. I do feel a little guilty, but I paid for the card and I’m fully entitled to the discounts.

I agree you are being unreasonable! The blue light card and the other NHS discounts have been around for years and its just showing how miserable people are saying 'what about me? What can i get for free?' etc. I'd happily swap my position on the front line with you if it means that much to you to get a free coffee or a small discount on something!? Someone else raised a good point recently about discounts other professions get, for example a discount in a retail store if you work there, so what alternatives are there for NHS workers? Bear in mind I also have to actually PAY for my blue light card. Sick of people making me and colleagues feel like we are scroungers... as you can probably tell, this touches a nerve for me

I've got news for you.. we get discounts on most stuff all the year around. It's not new, possibly just better advertised.

You probably think that I don't deserve it because I work from home, but I have never worked harder than I have these last few months. Those on the frontline need the support of people in office-based roles too. Who do you think supplies data to the government everyday? Or provides access to patient's health records so doctors/nurses know about past medical history?

I have one and I’m not even a proper key worker. It’s great.

I live in a Military town and there are a lot of x amount discount for service people etc. When they are well paid and pay minimal housing.It doesn't make sense

Yes you are mean spirited. I'm a district nurse and our workload has gone up drastically, due to treatment rooms being closed.

Oldraver - we still pay nearly £500 a month for our slightly crappy married quarters! People seem to assume that it’s either free or really cheap. It gets deducted directly from DH’s pay.

What’s wrong with businesses having a discount for military personnel? You can always join the military for a 10% Starbucks discount if you like.

Retail staff get discounts, as do Council workers, airline staff etc.

I live in a Military town and there are a lot of x amount discount for service people etc. When they are well paid and pay minimal housing.It doesn't make sense

Yep things like "discounted housing" (not that it's very much any more) and the extra pay is because they are called in to work at any moment or posted across the country/abroad at short notice. Moving costs money, if they have a family the partner needs a vocation which moves with the family (which are normally lower paid jobs) and the kids get moved from school to school. They deserve all the perks they get (which have massively decreased over the last 10 years)

It's called "the x-factor" officially but most call it the f@&k around factor for a good reason.

Some people can’t bear others getting something they can’t 🙄
It’s been around years, but more widely discussed at the moment by businesses using to gain publicity and miserable buggers like you moaning about unfair it is!

Yes, you're being mean and sound a bit bitter really.

Most of the discounts are poo anyway.

Most shops offer their workers a discount, probably the same in MacDonald's, kfc or Nando's? What's the difference with the blue light card which is applied for and paid for? Emergency service workers aren't all highly paid and twiddling their thumbs. A high proportion of NHS workers who work their socks off are on lower wages such as porters, HCA's, domestic cleaners, therapy assistants etc. It's not all highly paid managers and consultants. i don't even need to talk about the ridiculous low wages for carers either.

Seemingly a big backlash for the essential workers recently. Who have dared to carry on going to work throughout lockdown and have been offered the occasional discount for their efforts.

I usually work in children's services doing health checks on reception aged children. My colleagues' redeployment into the community with patients on EOL care hasn't exactly been a walk in the park, nor the ones redeployed as HCA's on covid wards. This redeployment was not optional. I'm pretty grateful to be diabetic and therefore was able to go into an admin role. I will be enjoying pizza tonight with a 50% NHS discount and won't feel bad about it, but am very grateful it's being offered.

This is yet another one of those 'someone else has something I don't so I'll spit my dummy out, and say it's unfair' threads.

This one is how unfair it is some people get discounts, others say people shouldn't complain about sickness issues at work because their mates don't get sick pay. There's a right rush to the bottom for some misery guts who think nobody should have anything they don't.

I think I agree. There are lots of people whose work is truly essential to the functioning of society, who are not getting discounts. There are also lots of NHS workers who are not worse off financially than some of these other workers. It feels unfair. I don't feel comfortable with the idea that some jobs are more important than others - even 'non essential' work is essential since it keeps the economy healthy. Maybe it should be that all min wage jobs get discounts or none. Students get it because the shops want to relieve kids of all their loan money and count on the fact that they are young and inexperienced with money - it's taking advantage of them really since it is encouraging them to spend.

Maybe we should ban Christmas bonuses, profit related pay and Christmas parties as well as not everyone (all public sector workers for example) get these. I joined the NHS for job security and it was the right decision. Anuone who is desperate for a blue light discount should consider working for the NHS. Loads of vacancies at the moment.