Do you think this fair, blue light discount?

[MrsWaltonGoggins]

I tried to use my blue light card in a restaurant today, and they say they only accept it now if you have an nhs or military id. They said this is because they have teachers using the blue light and they believe it should be for healthcare workers only. I said that I am a nurse, I just don’t work for the nhs and don’t really think that’s fair.

Has anyone else come across this? Surely if you offer blue light discount it should be for anyone with a blue light card.

Grinds my gears that just about everyone can now get Blue Light Discount. It was a perk for us low paid NHS workers.

That is irrelevant to the discussion. It is a scheme. If you are allowed into it, then you should be allowed the discount. It is not up to individual businesses to accept being on the scheme (and being advertised as being in it) and then choosing which professionals get the discounts.

It’s a shame. I think anyone working an essential job who is paid less than the national average salary (or the full time equivalent), would be the “fairest” way to do it but it just wouldn’t be logistically possible. I also think retired people should get one.

But, as so many before has stated, it’s just a corporate company, it’s not about “fair” or “deserving”.

Definitely a shame though.

Why? You still get it. Why does it "grind your gears"? It doesn't affect you in the slightest. Who told you that it was a perk only for "low paid NHS workers" when it started 😂 It is called a BLUE LIGHT CARD ...

YANBU, they either accept the card or they don't.

I was surprised to hear my sister has a BLD card. She WFH doing admin work for the MOD.
NHS does not mean healthcare either. You could work in procurement and not be anywhere near a hospital.

This reminds me of when I had a NUS card, and went into New Look with a fellow student to do a bit of xmas shopping. My friend bought a pack of men's socks as a gift for a realtive, and was denied a discount (New Look do discounts for NUS card holders) because the socks were "obviously not for her". She did call for a more senior member of staff so she could complain... and the original decision was upheld. They said that people not entitled to a discount could get card holders to do their shopping for them. I did say that I do wear men's socks and I find them more comfortable. They didn't respond to that! This about 10 years ago, and I still feel a bit angry when I think about it.

I used to think it was just for emergency service workers... hence the blue light.

It was, originally - but has been extended. My query was why the previous poster thought it had been set up for "low paid NHS workers" when it clearly is for Blue Light workers.

Blue Light is just a private members club. Like the Civil Service Social Club. Or Kids Club.

I think they have missed the point of who can get blue light cards within the sectors they deem acceptable.

my sister has one who works in the back office of a GP surgery.

I could get one as someone who teaches and trains education staff. (I’ve just never got round to it!)

you could argue I’m more “frontline” than her. But neither of us is saving lives and making life or death decisions 😂

This. It’s just a piss take now.

I think it is now just a general public sector discount scheme. Which is fine. It is not like you will ever get bonuses or anything like that.

With any discount scheme, you always get cries of "what about me?" from everyone else? During Covid, some supermarkets had discounts for various workers. Everyone from the elderly to single parents were asking where their discounts were. The best was from supermarket workers... Um, you already get a discount 😆

Retired people get a discount on literally everything, the only stuff they don't get discounts on is stuff they get totally free!

This is true and it is why some
places no longer give BLC discount but ask to see your NHS card.

Literally everything, you say...Wow! Really? I've been missing out! I need to up my game.

^ this. If they only want to give NHS workers a discount, fine, but that's not only who the Blue Card system applies to. I have a Blue Card but not an NHS ID. Also the Blue Card people also sell give their card to former NHS staff, e.g. retired, so they won't have an ID card. Restaurant sound a bit silly tbh but it's up to them I suppose.

Loads of private sector companies have signed up to discount schemes now too, some better than the Blue Light ones, I know mine have. I don't think many people pay price for anything anymore, everyone seems to be entitled to some kind of discount scheme if they can be bothered with the faff of signing up.

DH has had a BLC for years (MoJ - Prison Governor) the discounts aren't as good as they once were - but then again Tesco Clubcard deals are worse than they were.

Years ago you couldn't have a costco card - everyone and their dog can get one now.

I understand asking for id with it. The amount of people who pass their card around to friends and family to be used is quite high. I worked in retail and we needed I'd just to prove it was theirs, bank card, drivers license etc. the amount of people who didn't have it (even on the card they had our to pay on) was high. I don't thing it should be specified by job though.

Absolutely this.
It is not a reward-for-service card, it's a marketing initiative to shift more product/service.

Yes I am aware. Nurses start on just under £30k, teachers on just over £31,500.
That's starting salaries for the newly-qualified.
For comparison, accountants start on £28,500 and solicitors around the £35k mark.
Journalists start on £24k, social workers on £32k.
The rhetoric of teachers,and nurses being low-paid angels needs to stop. It's utter nonsense.

You definitely need to contact their head office. If they are offering discount via the blue light scheme they can’t pick and choose who they are classing as worthy as having the blue light card and whether they deem them as being worthy of receiving the discount. Outrageous, and the head office will most certainly not be aware of this….

The rhetoric of teachers and nurses being low-paid angels needs to stop. It's utter nonsense

Absolutely.

Was it nandos? I know they do this

NHS BlueLightCard holder here!
surely they can’t pick and choose who they can offer it to I’ll certainly be reporting them

Nandos doesn't use the Blue Light scheme, but does offer discounts to certain employers. Thats their prerogative.