Joining IPSE+

[JRCT]

After reading up on various threads here and on the IPSE website, I'm thinking of taking the plunge today.

There are obviously lots of advantages of joining but before I do, is there any reason why I shouldn't join?

I can't see that there's a direct alternative anywhere.

I gather from various posts that they may not be as good as they once were or may not always be supporting in the right areas for everyone, but is that reason enough not to join or is it still money well spent?

[GlenW]

After reading up on various threads here and on the IPSE website, I'm thinking of taking the plunge today.

There are obviously lots of advantages of joining but before I do, is there any reason why I shouldn't join?

I can't see that there's a direct alternative anywhere.

I gather from various posts that they may not be as good as they once were or may not always be supporting in the right areas for everyone, but is that reason enough not to join or is it still money well spent?

Their insurances are good value and more than worth the joining fee, but don't expect to be treated with respect or have any of your questions answered in the forums, unless it is a sycophantic, fawning post.

[jamesbrown]

Agree with Glen. As a product/service, it's very good value for money and, for that reason, I would recommend to you and others that it's worth serious consideration. However, the IPSE forum is extremely revealing in terms of the lack of professionalism afforded to anyone that would question their direction, even those on the Consultative Council.

[TykeMerc]

The main reason that joining (in my opinion) is a bad idea is they claim a mandate to represent you and yet do not act in contractors best interests, the farces over the FLC fiasco, the apparent total capitulation on IR35, the "optional" nature of the Opt Out are 3 standouts.

As long as you accept that by buying the insurance product that you're lending weight and funding to their political agenda which you have no say in then go for it, personally I won't give them my mandate or my money, even more so since the re-brand than when it was the PCG.

[TheFaQQer]

From my experience, there are two types of member.

Firstly, there are those that are there for the insurance / products being offered, and I firmly believe that these are the vast, vast majority of members. From a purely financial point of view, I see it as a no brainer - the last time I looked at getting a similar benefits package, the costs elsewhere were too high.

Tax investigation cover - you can get elsewhere if you want to (and I do that as well). But a policy to cover business interruption, the agency or client going bust, jury duty cover, sickness is going to set you back more than the membership costs. IPSE Advantages (if you remember it's there!) can save you a bit elsewhere as well - for example, I needed a new laptop this week and got 7% off the price by buying a gift voucher via IPSE to cover the cost.

Second type of member are the few that take a more active interest in the direction that the organisation is going, where contracting is heading, and looking to try to influence (or at least take an interest) in how IPSE operates. These are few and far between - you only have to look at voter turnout in recent elections to see that. However, IPSE are pretty much the lone voice for contractors, whether you like it or not. So if you think of it that way, are you better off being a voice outside that is ignored (for whatever reason) or a voice inside which might be heard?


I've been kind of in between the two types of member - I've always voted, particularly for the Consultative Council. But I've never (until the past year) been interested in what they really did. As with many things, it is only when someone does something that upsets you that you are stirred into action, and last year was that point for me.

There are many critics of the way the organisation is run, and the people that run it. But even taking that aside (and the warm welcome you know you'll get if you dare to suggest anything that differs from the way that the Board want it running), I still see membership as a no brainer. Whether that will remain the case now that the target member demographic appears to be changing, I don't know.

At the end of the day, IPSE are going to claim to represent you anyway, so why not try to have some input into that (and get some cheap insurance at the same time)?

(And if you join and use my member code - IPSEMGM0005 - there's a tenner in it for you at iTunes or Amazon)

[psychocandy]

IPSE+ membership no brainer for me if I need someone to represent me in the event of IR35 investigation.

Not interested in any of the other stuff (although one or two extras) this is pretty 99% of the reason.

[malvolio]

Worth remembering that IPSE is run by full time contractors just like you and me, so they are pretty much unlikely to do anything that would damage us. The original values and campaigns are still there, but they are also widening their reach outside the well-established IT and Engineering brigade. Up to you whether or not that's a good or bad thing, but if they had stuck with the original message and nothing else, by now they would be pretty much defunct as a lobbying organisation

Commercially, as others have said, it's a no brainer.

And usually the Forums are only impolite to serial complainers (complaining is fine, of course, even if it is only marginally justifiable) but who don't offer alternatives or listen to explanations (which is a waste of everyone's time).

[PerfectStorm]

For the cost of less than a days work for the higher package why not. You can get a lot of that back in discounts and you sleep easy knowing that you've got a brief if you get inspected. The plus package covers you for PAYE investigation - a precursor to IR35.?

[GlenW]

And usually the Forums are only impolite to serial complainers

... or free-loaders from this site of course.

[malvolio]

... or free-loaders from this site of course.

Which you could say represent a difference without distinction...

I think you'll find they are the same group; and are mostly the ones I was trying to persuade to raise their points on the IPSE fora rather than shouting over here where nobody was listening.

FWIW I do disagree with the "freeloading" concept as expressed over there: we are all in this together and whatever IPSE achieves will affect all of us. These boards have a wider readership than the members only IPSE ones, naturally, and many of the points, suggestions and questions raised here have been flagged back to IPSE. I would rather they kept a closer eye on here than they do, if only to see what is important to the average contractor.