Q: What’s happened to the reduced income, career break, redundancy and unemployment discounts that used to be available?

A: All discounts are set at 50% off the standard rate and can be claimed if you are on a reduced income, career break, redundant or unemployed providing your annual income from all sources totals less than £18,000 or its equivalent in local currency.  Please note that this discount is not available to members claiming the student rate or members in India or mainland China where a local rate applies.

Until now, the reduced income discount has only been claimable if the member’s annual income from all sources is less than £12,000 or its equivalent in local currency.  Following guidance from the Younger Members Board, this threshold was raised in 2007 to £18,000 to bring it in line with the average graduate starting salary of engineers and technicians in the UK, based on research conducted by the Engineering and Technology Board (ETB).  The IET hopes that this increase in the threshold will enable members who may be on a reduced income, career break, redundant or unemployed to claim the 50% discount.