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.

And how do you think that the next generation will manage to get themselves out of the poverty trap without education?

Because a poor family can have an exceptional child who escapes and does well and therefore doesnt just sign on as their parents did

(in the minds of many on here it seems), but only with the right help. Its a long term investment in the poorest kids. Not all poor parents are feckless, stupid people who dont value education. A trip to the Cutty Sark could really help some kids, and who are you to say that they shouldnt have that? Eventually those kids that do make it out will contribute far more than they ever cost, surely that is an investment worth making?

No but I think people should show sympathy to those children who miss out completely. Seems a lot of people on this thread couldn’t care less about them

Because at what point do we stop subsidising lower earners and benefits recipients. At what point do we decide "this costs what it costs"

The core thing we teach our children is work hard to get what you want.

The message they're getting today is "its ok, the state/businesses will support this for you"

Its absolutely wild

You don't have the absolute first clue. I'm actually a fitness instructor who when I taught classes in the community did cheap and free classes for people - because I lived in an area of high deprivation. It's got nothing to do with the discount not being high enough. It's because some people are on the bones of their fucking arse and that 25 quid a month is still beyond them given that they live on 400 pounds a month or less

There are several, ONS is a good place to start.

They don’t. Recent DWP stats suggest 34%.

So rather than giving children living in poverty opportunities to have experiences that may widen their horizons and see beyond the poverty they live in, you just want them to kick around their estate looking at burned out cars? Because that is what the kids I see live with.You just want them to to stay in their box and never get out?

Its a crazy system! I know it's not the fault of the job coaches, but my word is it frustrating. Almost scary when you're desperate and the DC are hungry.

Mine does. My disabled child can't access it though.

Yes indeed someone posting upthread said the discounted tickets were only given to 5% of visitors. Hardly bankrupting the country. Have to say waiting in the special queue of the ToL put me off a bit, I won’t be rushing to repeat the experience

You are not subsidising this they are private companies this has been repeatedly stated throughout the thread. What are you not understanding

I have worked hard all my life. Working hard doesn't always translate to a good salary

It is a sad state we live in when someone in a low paid but often vital job is blamed for their own poverty.

Again, this….read it… https://www.boredpanda.com/privilege-explanation-comic-strip-on-a-plate-toby-morris/

I worked hard, have a professional job and still claim a bit of UC. HTH

Well i won't will I when you deliberately drip feed context.

So we're talking a 20% discount?

I think that level is significant, but that's just me.

The air must be really thin up there on the moral high ground eh

Have to say if I had a penny every time “working hard” was mentioned on this thread, I’d no longer need to claim UC at all !

Oh give over. The point is that people who are given the discount still can’t make use of it because THEY STILL CAN’T AFFORD IT.

Me and my DH both work and money is very tight each month but I’m not naive enough to believe we’d suddenly be better off claiming UC, or that benefits claimants are to blame for us finding the cost of living difficult in the current climate. Lots of posters say things like ‘we have no money at the end of month’ when it’s often because they are lucky enough to own a nice home and mortgage payments are high, have a car payment etc, The reality is they still have a standard of living that UC wouldn’t provide.

What are you subsidising in the context of discounted zoo admissions or whatever it is? It is nothing to do with the government and everything to do with the zoo etc usually getting extra funding as part of offering discounts to those on UC.

UC is made of of several benefits though.
People hear UC and automatically think of someone who "can work, but wont".
Working Tax Credits was for people who work, ESA was for people who could not. Now they are combined under the umbrella of UC.
So this figure about how many people on it work does not really matter, and I fail to see what point people are trying to make when they go on about most people on UC not working.

If they gave the discount to everyone it wouldn't be a discount and the company would probably go bust. But you don't want that really, do you? You just want the discount to be taken away from the people who do get it.

Plenty of people have no money left at the end of the month despite working full time, paying rent topping up electric/gas meters and buying value food.

So maybe their standard of living wouldn't be any worse on UC

Sorry what. A fiver off a gym membership is significant when someone is on 400 pounds a month. Off you go. Good for you. It's clear you have an issue with poor people