AIBU to be miffed about Chester Zoo?

With all due respect you CAN afford it, I remember when I used to teach I taught many children who had never even been to the bloody cinema (and they were year 4!) never mind the zoo!

I know which days to avoid 😂

I guess they have to draw the line somewhere though, pensioners for example might feel they should get a discount.

I remember Lotto did a thing where if you bought a ticket you could go on free days out, booked through a national site (can't remember the name). Many zoos etc were on that.

Its a thing in scotland, never knew!!! Thanks

Fucking hell, imagine being so bitter you resent the fact that a 4 year old might be able to see a tiger for the first time for less money than you pay. If you think that these parents are so irresponsible having kids they cant afford and are in it for the money, then surely you also think they are parents who wouldn't have their child's best interests at heart so might not otherwise bother taking them to enriching days out like this. This being cheap might be the only time a little girl gets to see a meerkat pop up, the first time two siblings get to see two monkey brothers play with each other, the time an 8 year old is entranced by the bat enclosure. They arent getting flown 5* to Disney, they are getting a cheaper deal to go learn about the natural world AND animal conservation. Its a bloody wonderful thing. They arent even getting something you arent, because you can bloody afford it! Bitterness will rot you from the inside.

can Up to 6 people all go for £1 each even if only one of those people claim DLA?
it seems a very good offer.

I have to say many of the responses are on fire tonight. MN at its best.

Team £1 trip for those who get "benefits"!

You are about ten years out of date. UC isn't like tax credits.

Are you equally as vocal about the disadvantages that children with disabilities face? My little one loves trains but if he wants to ride on the trains at our local steam railway he can't do it with his friend who is also a wheelchair user as there's only space for one wheelchair on the trains. He can't use any of the equipment in any of our local parks because there's nothing for him, we have to travel 20 miles for that. He can't go to places like the local trampoline park because they have no facilities for him. There are so many places he, and his friends, are at a distinct disadvantage, even the zoo isn't great because lots of the barriers that your children can see over, little people in wheelchairs can't.

You assume most on benefits can get there.
I couldn't have even managed the transport costs when I was on benefits.
I guess if they get a lift there and back, then they can manage to buy lunch there or something.
Basically for many this is the only way their kids could ever go.
Why begrudge them that?

Is this some kind of GCSE Ethics question?

Honestly!?! Check yourself OP.
How AWFUL you can only afford the zoo once a year, your poor kids 😢

Thanks for the the heads up though... off to book 👍😆

It’ll be a cold day in hell before I’m annoyed that children who’s families don’t have much money get to go to the zoo for a £1

The whole point of doing this now is that it's 2 weeks in December that are quiet for full price tickets due to the weather. There's a reason Theme Parks close completely between November and Feb half term!

They do offers in autumn and winter all year round. They did £10 tickets at the end of October. Places like Paulton's Park do cheaper Christmas tickets with limited rides open. Note they aren't doing £1 summer tickets, when you won't get wet through in the Northwest rain.

Chester Zoo is also running a promotion allowing those who visit this month to have another visit in January or early February for free. So it is simply untrue to say that there is nothing for those who are not on benefits. It isn't as cheap as the £1 tickets, admittedly, but they would rapidly run out of money if they let everyone in at that price.

The £1 a ticket promotion only runs for two weeks in December and they are only making a limited number of tickets available per day. Those using these tickets do not qualify for another free visit.

Chester Zoo also have offers for schools to book free tickets (always late autumn / winter). It's great that some children get to go who would otherwise miss out.

It's a question of how you'd prove that you're in need of a low cost ticket if you're not in receipt of this benefits.

How would you stop this on household incomes of more than £100,000?

Or should it be joint incomes over £70,000 since £35k is roughly average earnings?

The cost of living is hurting everyone but where do you draw the line? There are always winners and losers and on this occasion, you're on the losing side.

They were doing a £10 a ticket offer around October, November time I know because I went. They do loads of offers throughout the year. Mums go free on Mother’s Day. Dad on Father’s Day. Cheap kids tickets etc etc. This is for those who genuinely cannot afford it even with those offers

I'm sorry but no, 'everyone' is not struggling in the same way. Especially when you consider it isn't just for those on UC but also those on PIP and with children disabled enough to receive DLA.

I imagine life is tough for families in receipt of those benefits. I'm glad their dc get to have experiences too.

Your dc don't need the special tickets, they have already got to go!

My husband and I both work, don't claim UC but do get high rate DLA for our severely disabled daughter. I'd rather pay full price for her to go to Chester Zoo, than have her live a life with severely disabilities. Getting to go to Chester Zoo for a quid isn't really a perk. Be thankful you obviously have no idea.

I'd love to know how my registered blind, severely disabled child is making a 'lifestyle choice', I am pretty sure that, given a choice, he'd choose not to be disabled and in pain every day.

Apologies I meant the lifestyle choice of working 16 hours per week to qualify for UC benefits. I know a number of people who CHOOSE to do this.

What do you mean 'why shouldn't it be first come first serve'? It's not applicable to you because it's in conjunction with a charity supporting disabled people on benefits.

Do you really think your life would be better if those people who used the scheme were unable to do so? If it didn't exist your general standard of living wouldn't suddenly elevate.

I'd rather have my health and the ability to work and choose what I do with my life and be free of pain than have a one off £1 trip to a questionable zoo anyway.

Is being on PIP a lifestyle choice?