To be cheesed off with Universal Credit entry fees?

[MaturingCheeseball]

I know it’s been done before, but…

I thought I’d like to visit Chatsworth House with (teenage) dd. The cost is £33 each PLUS parking at £7.50. So £73.50.

Then I saw the universal credit/pension credit/pip etc price. THREE POUNDS. And free parking! So £6.00 for two adults (age 17+).

I do not have 12 times as much money as someone on these benefits. I doubt many people do. I’m not begrudging the disadvantaged a day out, but come on! The price differential is ludicrous.

When I saw the £73 price I just decided we couldn’t go, and so be it. But upon seeing the potential for a £6 entry, it made me feel mugged off.

No they aren't. They are usually funded by charity, sometimes the attractions own charity.

Pearls before swine, I am afraid

so no child discounts? same price for a baby in arms? same price for pensioners? no discounts for people with disabilities who need a carer?

Just make it reasonable for everybody. £33 for most people is ridiculous and wonder if it is mainly foreign rich tourists visiting.

anybody here heard of the laffer curve?

Nah. Unless you’re chatsworth houses pricing accountant, you can’t possibly know that

Private businesses choose to participate to increase footfall, and it is part of their cost model. The government/tax payer is not subsidising the tickets.

OP was just making a valid point about the difference in price of entry between Benefit claimants and those that dont claim benefits, how does that make OP jealous?
There are lots of people who work full time but whose income barely cover outgoings.
I really think these types of things should be means tested so that everyone can enjoy an affordable day out.

Or you could go to the Wallace Collection, which is free for everyone

The question has been answered, it’s a no, you aren’t subsidising them. The number of tickets available is 2% of their annual visitor numbers. Their prices didn’t rise when they introduced these tickets.

There's usually a small print of the restrictions for these prices. Maybe not all of them as I haven't looked. Off peak, during the week only, shit like that.

Yes it's poor for a single person but for people with kids who benefit from the work allowance and taper rates it's a lot more generous.

Agree £33 a person is a ridiculous amount and out of reach of most for visiting a stately home. I think the outrage should be on the very high ticket price.

What do you mean by that?

There is no solution. I’m just wondering if you punch up as well as down

Part of the being registered as a charity for these places will have goals around community engagement and ensuing it’s accessible to those who may struggle more to access such experiences. Hence them using their charity funding to run the schemes

I think it's the 33.- versus 3.- plus the parking that's seen unfair.

But judging by these prices, I suspect that the uptake for UC claimants is minimal.

I also know- having worked in conservation - that too many visitors will be detrimental to the house, it's contents and collections. So setting a high entrance fee automatically reduces the amount of visitors, preserving the estate for future generations.

No, you said “The thing is, if I stop working I stop paying tax. If everybody in my situation stopped working, who will pay for UC?”

You’re making yourself sound like you’re the benefactor of people on benefits. That if you and people like you quit their jobs, there will be no money for people on benefits. This is simply not true, you and people like you barely pay any tax. Obviously it’s most beneficial for people like you to continue working just so there aren’t more people on benefits who have to be supported by people earning high salaries, but what you actually contribute in tax is a drop in the ocean. You don’t pay for other people’s benefits, you pay for the public services that you use

If it helps, We've been on UC for 2 years and we've never taken up any cheaper entry offers. We haven't been able to save up enough to travel to even the closest attraction.

What does it cost to run Chatsworth (or similar business) on a dally and annual basis?

I cant remember the details but when I looked at the leaflet I thought not many people would take advantage of it.

It’s fine if an attraction wants to give discounted ‘break-even’ tickets to some groups, but I don’t expect to be paying for other people’s tickets, without my agreement, and without transparency. My own ticket should be paying ONLY for their running costs and allowing for their profit margin

The vast majority of places like Chatsworth, museums, stately homes etc. are charities. They're not making a profit. They're cost covering for staff and maintenance and refurbishment costs of the place you're visiting.

Different with theme parks, obviously.

That's correct.

Chester Zoo was £1 which is great of course but it was only available during the Christmas school holidays. Not when most people think about visiting the zoo.

I wonder how many of the people complaining about these UC prices have taken the time to complain to the businesses offering the discounts.
If you have, may I ask how they've responded?

It's definitely sensible to suggest that every person entering the building must submit their financial information (as UC claimants have to in order to get these tickets). I'm sure nobody will kick off about having to do that in order to access lower priced tickets. Great cost cutting idea 🤨

You may not have 12 times as much money but you are quite likely to have 12 times as much disposal income.