Money Moral Dilemma: Can I keep using my NHS discount card even though I've left the service?

Andy_L

squirrel59 said:

How is this a dilemma? The card was issued to because you worked for the NHS, and now you don't anymore.

Because MSE aren't to good at writing Money Moral Dilemmas anymore?
Because whoever wrote to them isn't to good at searching the internet?

JayD

There will almost certainly be something relating to you leaving the NHS in the Ts and Cs. You need to read them more thoroughly.

silvercar

RosaBernicia said:

Not all of the schemes allow you to use it without an active NHS email address.  You may find that the hard copy card can be used to show for the high street deals, since the scheme can't really cancel those, but access to online discounts will be lost along with your email access. 

Lots of NHS workers don’t have a work (NHS) email address. 

Janer

MSE_Kelvin said:

This week's MoneySaver who wants advice asks...

I used to work for the NHS and, when I did, I bought a discount card for NHS staff. The scheme verifies your employment then entitles you to discounts from a lot of companies. I've left the NHS now, but the card's valid for two years and doesn't offer refunds. The T&Cs don't specify what happens in this situation - can I continue to use the card, as I bought it legitimately, or should I stop as I'm technically no longer eligible?

Unfortunately the MSE team can't answer Money Moral Dilemma questions as contributions are emailed in or suggested in person. They are intended to be a point of debate and discussed at face value. Remember that behind each dilemma there is a real person so, as the forum rules say, please keep it kind and keep it clean.

If you haven’t already, join the forum to reply.

Got a Money Moral Dilemma of your own? Suggest an MMD.

As it states on the website;

What if I leave my current job role/retire?

Your Blue Light Card will remain active until your current Blue Light Card expires. However, if do not fall under one of our eligible categories at the end of your membership period, you will not be able to renew your Blue Light Card.

It's not your fault that they haven't put anything in place to stop ex employees using the discount scheme.

Janer

As it states on the website;

What if I leave my current job role/retire?

Your Blue Light Card will remain active until your current Blue Light Card expires. However, if do not fall under one of our eligible categories at the end of your membership period, you will not be able to renew your Blue Light Card.

It's not your fault that they haven't put anything in place to stop ex employees using the discount scheme.

Sandtree

Pineapple999 said:

It’s the companies that offer the discount that actually fund the discount, not the NHS,  and they do so as a Thankyou and a perk for hard working NHS staff - if you are no longer one of those, then no, you definitely shouldn’t still be using it. 

A previous employer used to also give a discount card so are those companies giving a discount to say thank you for those working (hard or otherwise) in banking and insurance?

In fact it was actually operated by a third party so for example you could by £10 supermarket vouchers for £9.50 from them, in reality the middleman company is buying them from the supermarket at £9.25 probably. As a larger employer they didn't pay the middleman for this service but actually got a small kickback for promoting it. 

Is the supermarket really wanting to give a "thank you" for whatever random industries the middleman is selling the vouchers on to or is it really just written down as advertisement costs as the 10,000 buyers a month will now be shopping at their supermarket rather than a competitors.

Offering modest discounts to random companies can be relatively cheap marketing, if you can claim there is some moral aspect to it too because its the NHS rather than RBS then all the better (though having cross compared some of the discounts, RBS employees were getting more than the NHS in some cases from the same end companies)

Isin2000

There is no moral dilemma here

if you are abiding by the terms and conditions (as seems to be the case here) you signed up for.

 

gloriouslyhappy

My niece works for a big supermarket chain and her staff discount card specifically says valid for one year after she leaves or five years if retiring. A week before staff’s last day they hand over the old card and get a new one with an expiration date. 

Many employee schemes carry over for a while, usually those that stop at the end of employment make that very clear.

MoonChild91

I bought a 3 year NUS card whilst working at a university - I no longer work there but still have 2 years left on the card, so I'm still using it! 
If you've paid for it then you're entitled to use it I think, it only becomes fraudulent if you try to renew it whilst no longer being NHS staff. 

Nebulous2

silvercar said:

RosaBernicia said:

Not all of the schemes allow you to use it without an active NHS email address.  You may find that the hard copy card can be used to show for the high street deals, since the scheme can't really cancel those, but access to online discounts will be lost along with your email access. 

Lots of NHS workers don’t have a work (NHS) email address. 

That may no longer be the case.

Much of the training we do is online, and all our staff have NHS email addresses to access the training. 

I'm in Scotland and that may be different from where you are.