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.

Look up not down for the source of the problem. The money is there for everything it’s just locked away because there’s not a wealth tax that would improve the lives of all. The top 50 wealthiest families in the U.K. have more than the bottom 34 million people. Cheap days out are not the problem.

You will have a mortgage paid off, a decent private pension with your state pension if you live long enough. Think long term.

When I was 7 years old I went on a holiday to Scotland for a week. It was for disadvantaged children, with a charity that existed to provide these holidays for children in care or poverty.

It was the only holiday I ever had as a child. I absolutely loved it, and over 40 years later I’m still so grateful that I was given that chance. One of my fondest memories was having breakfast every day, and it not being just toast!

And yes, it was aspirational. It gave me a taste of how the other half live and helped me to strive for a life where I could provide holidays (and good breakfasts!) for my own children. If children aren’t shown that ‘more’ is possible, they will never aspire to more, and the poverty cycle will continue.

I think these type of attractions probably employ marketing people who have considered this. Either they're offering discounts to certain groups for altruistic reasons or because it looks good or meets some charitable requirement.

Why didn't you just call this thread "I hate it when poor people get nice things"

Most UC claimants work, their wages are just low not because they are lazy or morally less worthy than you are. A huge proportion of them are single parents.

Yes disabled people and their children shouldn't have any opportunities. Infact lock them away in the dark .

Yeah culture and education should be for the rich. The poor (and that will include a lot of working people on low wages since we’re talking about UC) should just know their fucking place.

Meanwhile when you are being manipulated in order to sow division you aren’t thinking about the real underlying issue. Which was rather the point of this appearing on SM and then the in the daily mail.

that 100% is not what I’m saying, I’m saying I’m a single parent too and I can’t afford to go to the zoo and have nice things either but I don’t qualify for the discounted tickets either. So how does that fit with your rhetoric

Only 32% of UC claimants are in any form of employment.
Proportion of Universal Credit claimants in employment in England | LG Inform

And even this small number is steadily declining.

32% includes part time work, so it might be as little as two days a week.

So your statement is incorrect

Would your life be better if you were on UC and got a discounted zoo ticket?

Used to notice how smaller families are charged when ds was little. Granted I only had one, but we'd pay X amount to get into an attraction as a family of 3, 2 adults and a child whereas a family of 4 would often be admitted for the same price /less.

Am I reading this right - people are objecting to a policy that means that CHILDREN, who probably have a very restricted impoverished life because their family is on benefits, should not be able to visit to an attraction that would otherwise be out of reach? What on earth is wrong with you people? Take a long hard look at yourselves. And maybe reflect that many on Benefits are "hardworking taxpayers" whose 'generous employers' do not pay them enough to make ends meet.

If it's so unfair what's stopping you quitting your job and going on benefits yourself? Seeing as you seem to think benefit claimants have it so easy.

You're channeling your anger in the wrong direction. If you're angry that it's hard supporting your family, that's reasonable. But get angry with your employer for not paying a better salary, and/or with the successive governments that have established Britain's low pay culture. Get angry with attractions for charging (and I do agree here) such ridiculous rip-off prices. But it isn't reasonable to direct your ire at those who are already struggling.

Honestly sick to death of all the benefit bashing threads on here recently. And no, I'm not on benefits myself, but have been in the past and actually have some understanding of how hard life can be on them, whereas a lot of those who like to put the boot in appear not to have a clue what they are talking about.

Evidently the majority of UC claimants are working, let’s see honest reporting with the true figures from the government then. I believe it’s actually approx 30% that are working, I wonder how many are part-time and just doing their 16 hours?

I heard someone on the radio this morning moaning saying well for every £1 over xyz I earn they take 45p off my benefit so I’m only left with 55p - why would I work more. Of course why would you! Meanwhile those mugs going out everyday working and paying top rate get, in some cases, more than 50% taken as well as supporting themselves and paying full whack plus the benefit premium for everything.

What people seem to be missing is that the welfare bill is now higher than the tax take. Those working paying tax are paying the benefits (or towards them), then they are paying again at these places as they subsidising the discounts for those on welfare. We are all paying higher prices whether it be for Sky, heating, broadband to subsidise these benefits.

I hope we’ve reached the stage where people say ‘no more’ and stop working so many hours and stop paying full price for these places. They won’t survive without the full paying public.

It’s like housing in inner London I suppose only the very poor on benefits and the very rich can live there.
the zoo will be like that soon.

Your response just sums it all up - and brought a tear (alright several tears) to my eye. I honestly never know how to respond to these threads because they are always posted from a self-centred perspective and you can't argue with people who say: "But it's not fair TO ME!" You have so eloquently made the case for why there is a much bigger picture if people ever bothered to think or to look for it. Anyway, someone near me must be chopping onions... thanks for sharing. It makes such a difference and stops the usual hatred towards those who are genuinely on the breadline. And, as you say, the never-ending cycle.

Annual passes work out good value. Maybe look into those? As employed person ypu more lijely to have access to 0% credit cards etc
Do not begrudge some discounts for certain people.
Good for them if they take them up. Good for their dc .

But you’re ignoring the large proportion of claimants who can’t work. There will always be people who are disabled or have caring responsibilities and these will always fall under the UC umbrella. It would be impossible for every single UC claimant to get a job (despite the wishes of rabid right-wingers). The vast majority of people claiming UC that can work, do work.

This thread will go the same way as the other. Benefit bashing.

Unless you live very close (in which case most of this kind of place have a entry discounted anyway) then even with it so reduced it will still be difficult for many to go because of transport and other related costs

it just helps bridge the gap to accessing these things slightly

It's these same corporate businesses (or businesses generally) paying such low wages that force ordinary people on to in-work benefits in the first place!

Approximately 72% of children living in poverty come from in-work families.

The least these corporations can do is offer a cheap day out 🤔

If all these businesses ended the discounts tomorrow, would that make you feel better? Would your life improve?

So what is it that you want - to be included in the discount, or the discounts (that don't impact ticket price) to be stopped?

Fair enough to be annoyed that working full time doesn't leave much after rent/mortgage but you're getting angry with the wrong group of people.

Meanwhile when you are being manipulated in order to sow division you aren’t thinking about the real underlying issue.

This 1000%!

All those defending this, be brutally honest here, would you be happy in this scenario?

Chester Zoo did an offer earlier this year of £1 entry for benefit recipients. A family of 4, in receipt of benefits, would pay £4. A family of 4, not in receipt of benefits, would pay just over £100.
There isn’t a single person who wouldn’t be pissed off paying over £100 more, you can’t convince me otherwise.