AIBU to feel annoyed about discounted attractions for benefit claimants?

[Sheldonsheher]

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-15721199/Benefit-claiming-families-UK-attractions-working-Brits.html

I know I’ll get slated as the origin is the daily fail but, but this kind of annoys me too! I mean as a single parent I don’t want to pay £60 to go to the zoo either.

"I suppose I’m not objecting to benefit recipients paying so little but that I am expected to pay so much."

My adult son lives in supported living with 3:1 care. One place that he used to visit has now decided that they won't allow more than two free carers so if he visited now he would have to pay full price for himself and for one of the carers- even though they are professional carers working with him. This isn't the sort of place where the extra person would be taking the space of a paying visitor.

So no, those on universal credit don't pay so little.

Places often offer discount to help engage harder to engage groups. That is what this will hopefully do a enable those who don’t normally manage to access these cultural experiences to do so

There are slots if people that are struggling financially. Many of them aren't on benefits. What I object to is the two tier system where being on benefits is a gateway to being able to access things that those earning fractionally more could never afford? It is unfair.

Also factually of course those paying full price are subsidising those that pay less. Many of these attractions are barely breaking even. If it weren't for people paying high entrance prices then they would have to shut down and nobody could access them.

I think what bugs me with this is that benefits should be there to support people in times of struggle (which is happening more now than ever sadly) it could happen to any of us - but it’s become a lifestyle for many as well which means taxpayers are paying in more and then having to spend more while those on benefits get discounts left right and center and live more lavishly than working people (I get that’s not to case for everyone)

Do you have any evidence of that? It's a pretty tricky thing to prove without a business owner explicitly telling you that's what they've done?

When charity exceeds what many people can earn then yes it will become aspirational which is a huge problem for this country.

How would that work?

Oh no poor children might get something nice! It's not fair!!!!!!!

OAPs get a discount on fish and chips at my local Morrison's cafe too, the grabby bastards.
And students get a discount in New Look 😡

Ok so my mother, for arguments sake, who has saved the state millions by being the full time carer for her profoundly disabled son for decades, and will continue to do so until she dies (or collapses through exhaustion), deserves to pay more than your average person in paid employment?

That post has really backfired for Robert Jenrick on FB .... about 80% disagree with him.

https://www.dayoutwiththekids.co.uk/hub/parenting/money-and-finance/our-top-pick-of-universal-credit-days-out-2026

I posted this on yesterday’s goady thread. As another OP is kindly telling people about these scheme here are just some of the places that are offering it. I hope it helps people have a wonderful day out

Majority of UC claimants are working, those that aren’t are probably dealing with a disability in the family so these reduced rates are really essential. Access to these sorts of things increases wellbeing and education which in the long term can only be positive.

Good.

But that's always been life - student discount, OAP discount etc? why are we paying full price for trainers, when uni students are paying less. Why are we paying full price for fish and chips when OAPs are paying less...but it doesn't garner hatred & front page rage from the daily mail and its fans in the same way does it?

The mere sniff that someone on UC might be getting something makes peoples blood boil. Because it conjours the idea that theyre all idle and fiddling the system, rather than the reality that theyre likely working and still don't have enough to live on so need a top up, or that theyre medically unfit for work or have a child who is and so need to care for them.

Let's keep children - who didn't ask to be born into poverty - sad and unhappy shall we? Honestly, threads like this make me furious.

Thanks for the heads up OP. I didnt know this x

But surely the point is that even if you are financially comfortable these places are so expensive the are an occasional treat, whereas for a family on UC they can become something that can be visited much much more frequently.

It isn’t the cheaper entry but how much cheaper it is that makes it so galling.

A lady that I work with takes advantages of these offers every week. It’s great her daughter gets these opportunities, but we could only afford these trips every few months

It's not the case for anyone. For almost everyone it is true that they are better off working.

The only cases where people get more invome from benefits than minimum wage are with 4+ children with disabilities.. and even then the PIP/DLA isn't an unemployment benefit.

Living on minimum wage is hard, and everyone is suffering wages with not going up with inflation. A staff nurse's wage is creeping closer every year to NMW while we continue to fund a triple lock for pensioners.

A private business offering poor children a free day out isn't the thing to get outraged at IMO. It's worth bring curious why the daily mail is angry at this and not wage stagnation.

As on the other thread- a lot of people on UC are working full time. Me being one of them.
Without UC I couldn’t pay for childcare that allows me to work and pay my taxes.

Without these discounts I couldn’t give my son enjoyable days out as often.

No one is arguing it’s not nice for those benefiting from it.

the complaint is it’s not really fair to us trying to support our families through work and being taxed into the ground and expected to pay so much to access it that we can’t afford it either.. what about our kids. We only get 32 days off a year too so not easy to promote our own kids welfare especially as a single parent.

Yes, I imagine that is galling.

But these are private businesses that can charge as they see fit. It's not subsidised by taxpayers, or costing existing visitors more.

reform been harping on about this all week. so of course by coincidence its on here

Do you not use discounts for anything?

If you work for the NHS you get loads of discounts maybe you should try that.

Do you think people claiming UC get more time off than people who don't? Better let my employer know, I'm missing out!

If you think it's better being on benefits why not quit your job?
Or cut your hours and get a lower paid job.
No one is stopping you.