Irritated that families on UC get heavily discounted entry

[happybug1234]

feel very aggrieved this afternoon to find out that people on UC get heavily discounted entry to popular attractions:

London Zoo
London transport museum
science museum wonderlab
Cutty Sark
kew Gardens
St Paul’s cathedral

As a mum with a professional career, with both husband and I working full time, paying a mortgage, paying a fortune in childcare for 2 under 4’s I seriously despair! From experience of people I see around me, families on UC seem to have more disposable income than us as their rent is paid, have no childcare costs and all their costs subsidised on social tariffs etc.

why is the government getting away with this and why are more middle class/income people not up in arms about it! At the moment I can’t see how us working hard and being self sufficient has benefited us as a family.

Some people need to save their froth for companies, organisations and public offices for paying such poor wages that require someone working a 40+ hour week to need top up benefits and concessions. When DC were little we could have done with those types of concessions particularly for educational experiences. They weren't a thing then, only disabled concessions which didn't apply.

When DC2 was 9 we were given free tickets to a Maritime Day at Portsmouth. We took sandwiches and had a brilliant day. DC2 was very interested in marine biology and spent a great deal of time with uni students talking to and learning from them. He remembers that day nearly 30 years later.
30 years on DH is disabled, I can often get carer free or discount on entry to places, too darned right I take advantage of that.

You could save up for it.
People on UC may need to do so too, just to afford to get there

What kind of professional career are you in and yet you're so ignorant as to think the governments sets the price of entry at amusement parks?

Yeah exactly. It's not just the ticket price but all the associated costs and logistics of a day out, especially for families who don't have a car. Offering free entry removes one barrier which is great, but the other barriers still have to be navigated. I can't imagine there are many families on the kind of income that qualifies for UC spending their time merrily trotting up and down the country from one museum to the next with not a care in the world.

Do you have any idea of the statistics around children from families receiving benefits and A’Level achievement or university admissions? It is shockingly low! UC enables social mobility and gives children a small chance in life to actually have choices and opportunities. I can’t believe anyone would begrudge children being able to access educational and cultural experiences.

How are they professional jobs if they don't pay you enough to take your child to the zoo?

Why does that mean they get entry into Kew Gardens for a pound tho?

It was a direct response to her saying there’s no difference in either lifestyle. If she really believes that, why doesn’t she see for herself?

If the only way you can feel satisfied with your life is by taking something away from others, then something is wrong.

I get you're asking this to make a point, but, actually, yes, you are! You only have to get UC to be able to take advantage of it, they won't chuck you out if you take some hummus and crudites for a picnic instead of a big mac (hopefully it is obvious tongue is firmly in cheek here)

Are you ok? Have you banged your head?

Aw diddums

If you are under 25, you can get a discounted Reform membership.

Do we?! That’s news to me! I’ll start booking some days out!

Thats not what shes saying and you know it.

My stepson and his wife work FT with two children, just above the UC threshold

They would have loved to take their little ones to any of the attractions listed but the costs were prohibitive.

They are no better off than people on UC being so close to the cliffedge, so reduced rates for some and not all really grate.

Its performative, its unjust, and it rightly makes those of us who pay into the system more than a bit pissed off.

These reform bots are everywhere today, UC entry is their latest hate diatribe.

I saw someone post earlier “reform- looking after our own. Apart from when they’re poor”

That’s the point I’m making thought isn’t it? The ‘in between’ as you so eloquently put it, can’t access these businesses because we can’t afford to go!

EXACTLY.

Well that's just absurd. Who would take a Big Mac in their picnic?? It would get cold and the cheese goes all weird round the edges.

Bollox. What utter bollox.

You can be on UC and:
Work
Own your own home
Pay for childcare
Pay full charges for utilities snd Council Tax
Not be in receipt of free school meals
Have the desire for your children to be educated through the medium of local heritage
Be middle class in every way possible other than income

I was a single parent of 3, one with a disability, and working full time as a teacher. Still got Tax Credits snd would have got UC had I been switched over before my youngest left school. I also tutored, marked A Level exams and ran a summer holiday club. In other words, wages in this country are shit and many of us are a) doing the best we can whilst b) claiming what the rules say we are entitled to.

So darling, do sod off with your middle class rhetoric that bears no resemblance to real life. Be grateful for what you have; not what you don't.

So sick and tired of deliberate misunderstanding of how many people live.

You do realise you can work full time (albeit in a low paid job) pay a mortgage and receive UC right?

I do wonder what wll be next it was pip a few months ago now its uc im going to guess pensions next

Oh people in receipt of UC have never paid into the system?

It's un-fucking-believable we've reached a point where offering a discount to the poorest I'm our society is dubbed "performative and unjust"

Just get the sack, give any current savings to families on UC so they can have an even more luxurious life and stop paying your mortgage. Simple.

This thread has been done before

Its done every day

First post nails it!