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.

Exactly this. This is a great response.

This is a classic Reform tactic. Look at the poor, stealing from you. When in fact, it should be the previous Government and their failures that we should be criticising. There are many reasons why working families are stretched to the limit at the moment. The poorest families in society being able to take their children on a day out at a discounted rate at local attractions isn’t one of them. Unbelievable that as a society, some begrudge children from poorer families being able to experience such attractions.

I get about £20 some months, depending on childcare! Living a life of absolute luxury, me. And I also have a mortgage and a 14 year old car that I bought at a Cat N auction and pulled the dents out with a pan of hot water and a hammer. The luxury 💆🏻‍♀️

This is a fair point, but the answer isn’t begrudging private businesses or charities offering discounts, is it? It’s a rise in wages, or a widening of eligibility for top up benefits. (I’d prefer the former). Why is it, for example, that consumers are bearing the cost of a distant war through inflation, rather than massive corporations taking a reduction in profit?

I absolutely don't begrudge it at all. All children should be able to have nice experiences regardless of their parents situation, especially if they are educational.

Sure you do 😂😂😂😂

Then give it all up and be a big bum dosser on UC instead then. Discounts, free care when you're elderly, free rent. No brainer!

I think the perception of unfairness is only going to increase.
Especially amongst those who qualify for absolutely nothing but finances are fairly tight. Who see people who once they qualify for a ‘gateway benefit’ qualify for quite a bit across the board without having to apply for it from dental costs to reduced entry.

Another thing someone else can pay for. Typical

This…

If you are working full time and don’t need UC top then be grateful that your employer values you enough to pay a proper wage. Many of us don’t have employers paying a living wage so need a top up just to live. The entry fee discounts aren’t widely advertised and I only stumbled across them by chance. They are usually discounts for historical sites and UK heritage.

And this

But you will have a larger pension and the choice of (a likely nicer) care home.

All of the things you’ve listed are for the children only those on UC, the children don’t get a choice…plus it’s giving children from, potentially, deprived areas/families a chance to see things they might not otherwise, encouraging education and, possibly, breaking cycles at home in terms of attitudes to education, etc.

I work in a school and we hand out vouchers for kids to even go bowling in the holidays. Some children are truly growing up in really sad circumstances.

I think anyone who has a problem with CHILDREN benefitting from something is absolutely pathetic tbh.

I heard about this guy in London, kiddie fiddler who's never worked a day in his life, spent literally decades going on all sorts of holidays, private islands, private jets, lives in a fucking state funded mansion, doesn't pay council tax. He's got loads of tellies and a bunch of horses too, plus pizza on tap, that other people pay for. Makes you wonder what the point of it all is.

It’s not just for children though.

Except if you have saved a pension pot, you will also have paid NI. So you will have your state pension, on top of whatever you get from your private pension.

Whereas pension credit is set at a few quid a week below the level of the state pension….. and that will be ALL of their income.

The issue surely is, if you have a relatively decent income and have only 2 children you probably aren’t that bothered by this and are likely to be the people slating the OP.

but, clearly there are a group of people who earn just above the line of UC, but not much more and could only afford a couple of children but would have wanted more. They look at the numbers and can’t afford these trips for their 2 kids, but look at a family who maybe has 3 or more children (and this family might be working themselves but earning less) who end up taking home more than they do. Then on top of that that family get to have subsided trips (so not to punish the children) whilst their 2 children miss out. I absolutely do have sympathy for that situation.

I don’t know what the solution is though. I do think if it is a culturally enriching experience it should be equal to everyone no matter their background. Culture is a great leveller.

Yes, she uses that as often as she can. She's always taking them out and about but really has to think about where and when so this will be soo useful.

"I want to be in a society that treats all children as equal".

Amen to that, but currently it most definitely does not. I often feel that my children are penalised by growing up in a "normal home" eg 2 parents, no benefits, no SEN.

Alternatively, OP, you are welcome to quit your job and give up all your assets. Then you can have free entry too 🙌🏻

Yeah, that's exactly what she said.
🥱

People on UC don't have to pay tax on it because those that don't work have been given the minimum level of benefits that the Government has decided they need. Those who get UC and work have already been taxed on their income from wages, plus they get 55p out of every £1 remaining deducted from their UC (except for their work allowance).

You think your children are penalised for not having SEN? I've heard it all now.

This
Seriously, it must be a miserable life to be so resentful/jealous of other people.
I'm on minimum wage, could not care less if others get stuff on benefits or not.
I figure I'd rather be able to work, to make my own choices, than have to stay at home due to health problems/ be stuck in benefits because it's too expensive to get out of them or whatever.

You need to take that up with those PRIVATELY OWNED companies. Not blame the people getting the discounts.