Blue Light Card Discriminates against some retired civil servants

AdrianNSutton1rw

I retired last year as MOD civil servant. My Blue Light card expired in November this year. When I tried to renew it I was asked for copy of a recent payslip. I forwarded a recent pension payslip (my pension is paid by Civil Service Pension). This was declided as I was asked to submit a payslip from MOD Police. I replied and explained that I had never been employed by them and had been I MOD civil servant, I received a reply stating that retired civil servants were not able to hold a Blue Light Card.

Soon after this I discovered that a friend who had retired several years ago from the Police, having been employed as a civil servant has been able to renew her card a number of times since retiring.

I think that this is due to her pension is paid by the Police. I suspect that retired civil servants within the NHS, Fire Brigade and Ambulance service can similarly to renew their cards as the pension payment identifies the appropriate service.

I therefore believe Blue Light Cards discriminates against any retired civil servant previously employed by any branch of the military (RAF, Royal Navy and the Army).  I believe that service pensions indentify the branch of service which had employed them.

I have written to the company to expressmy view, and await a reply.

What does anyone else think?

DullGreyGuy

Its very clear on their website that a large number of employees are included and a much smaller number of retirees 

https://www.bluelightcard.co.uk/contactblc.php

Armed Forces Veterans are entitled to it but not lots of others like social workers etc.


At the end of the day they are a for profit company (£21m operating profit last year) and are free to choose who they want as members and not as long as it isn't discriminating on protected characteristics like sexual orientation or race.  

sarah1972

Pmd the team to move to the praise, vent & warnings board 

Andy_L

AdrianNSutton1rw said:

I retired last year as MOD civil servant. My Blue Light card expired in November this year. When I tried to renew it I was asked for copy of a recent payslip. I forwarded a recent pension payslip (my pension is paid by Civil Service Pension). This was declided as I was asked to submit a payslip from MOD Police. I replied and explained that I had never been employed by them and had been I MOD civil servant, I received a reply stating that retired civil servants were not able to hold a Blue Light Card.

Soon after this I discovered that a friend who had retired several years ago from the Police, having been employed as a civil servant has been able to renew her card a number of times since retiring.

I think that this is due to her pension is paid by the Police. I suspect that retired civil servants within the NHS, Fire Brigade and Ambulance service can similarly to renew their cards as the pension payment identifies the appropriate service.

I therefore believe Blue Light Cards discriminates against any retired civil servant previously employed by any branch of the military (RAF, Royal Navy and the Army).  I believe that service pensions indentify the branch of service which had employed them.

I have written to the company to expressmy view, and await a reply.

What does anyone else think?

NHS/Fire/Ambulance employees are not Civil Servants.

it looks like retired police/fire civilian staff (as opposed to Police officers/firefighters) are similarly excluded

Being a (retired) Civil Servant isn't a protected characteristic so a company is legally allowed to discriminate against them

Jude57

AdrianNSutton1rw said:

I retired last year as MOD civil servant. My Blue Light card expired in November this year. When I tried to renew it I was asked for copy of a recent payslip. I forwarded a recent pension payslip (my pension is paid by Civil Service Pension). This was declided as I was asked to submit a payslip from MOD Police. I replied and explained that I had never been employed by them and had been I MOD civil servant, I received a reply stating that retired civil servants were not able to hold a Blue Light Card.

Soon after this I discovered that a friend who had retired several years ago from the Police, having been employed as a civil servant has been able to renew her card a number of times since retiring.

I think that this is due to her pension is paid by the Police. I suspect that retired civil servants within the NHS, Fire Brigade and Ambulance service can similarly to renew their cards as the pension payment identifies the appropriate service.

I therefore believe Blue Light Cards discriminates against any retired civil servant previously employed by any branch of the military (RAF, Royal Navy and the Army).  I believe that service pensions indentify the branch of service which had employed them.

I have written to the company to expressmy view, and await a reply.

What does anyone else think?

If you worked in the Civil Service I'm surprised that you qualified for the card in the first place. I don't see the Civil Service as a 'blue light's organisation but I'm glad you and your colleagues received this benefit. I'm also surprised that a former Civil Servant doesn't know the difference between Civil Servants and Public Servants but here we are.

Andy_L

Jude57 said:

AdrianNSutton1rw said:

I retired last year as MOD civil servant. My Blue Light card expired in November this year. When I tried to renew it I was asked for copy of a recent payslip. I forwarded a recent pension payslip (my pension is paid by Civil Service Pension). This was declided as I was asked to submit a payslip from MOD Police. I replied and explained that I had never been employed by them and had been I MOD civil servant, I received a reply stating that retired civil servants were not able to hold a Blue Light Card.

Soon after this I discovered that a friend who had retired several years ago from the Police, having been employed as a civil servant has been able to renew her card a number of times since retiring.

I think that this is due to her pension is paid by the Police. I suspect that retired civil servants within the NHS, Fire Brigade and Ambulance service can similarly to renew their cards as the pension payment identifies the appropriate service.

I therefore believe Blue Light Cards discriminates against any retired civil servant previously employed by any branch of the military (RAF, Royal Navy and the Army).  I believe that service pensions indentify the branch of service which had employed them.

I have written to the company to expressmy view, and await a reply.

What does anyone else think?

If you worked in the Civil Service I'm surprised that you qualified for the card in the first place. I don't see the Civil Service as a 'blue light's organisation but I'm glad you and your colleagues received this benefit. I'm also surprised that a former Civil Servant doesn't know the difference between Civil Servants and Public Servants but here we are.

Its only the MOD Civil Service who qualify, probably because the Armed Forces qualify despite (except, AIUI, the bomb disposal bits) not being blue light services either.