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.

Claiming benefits doesn't necessarily equal poor.

You can be earning much more than the average wage and be entitled to UC and be earning little or nothing but claiming benefits in the tens of thousands a year if you or someone else in your household is claiming disability benefits so there's no cap.

You can be a multi-millionaire and claiming PIP or DLA for a child.

David Cameron was claiming DLA for his disabled son who later sadly died when DC was a millionaire.

That’s really unfair op I’d be pissed off as well!!

I have two jobs (full time hours) and still need a top up. I do the ‘right thing’ and I’m ‘penalised’ for it by not being able to survive alone on full time wages.
This thread is gross

It’s quite clear her issue is the degree to which a full price ticket is subsidising a UC ticket.

But not everyone is a freeloader

Don’t be so rude.

I am talking about the price differential . The chasm, really.

I honestly think you should just be glad you don't need to rely on any of those benefits.

Just for clarity whilst they are called ‘Universal Credit Tickets’ on the website this is the full list of benefits that qualify.

dsd gets uc and max pip due to severe disabilities, these concessions mean her carers can take her places

Do OAPs on pension credit get the discount?

YABU. You’d be paying £33 no matter what

Yes that's on the list of qualifying benefits, along with PIP/DLA

The issue isn’t universal credit as such. It’s the cost of living and poor standard of living for those who are working.

I have no idea how this can be resolved tbh.

It is a disincentive to work - for me at least. I've been unemployed for 8 months following some health issues. Partner works full time in a low wage job and we have 1 primary age DC. He brings home about 2200 a month and we get nearly £800 UC because we privately rent. From September DC will also get free school dinners, which will save me over £60 a month during term time.

If I go back to work - which is my aim after the 6 week holiday if I can find a job - I then have to contend with finding childcare (which is very limited in my area) and worrying I won't be well enough to keep the job.

The fact is, there's very little benefit to both of us working

You want her to be glad that because she is unable to claim UC, her family are priced out of activities? Why would that make anyone ‘glad’? You want her to be happy that her children miss out, whilst her tax contributions mean the children of those who don’t contribute as much, don’t? You must be easily pleased.

Poverty is defined in a way that makes sure it ALWAYS exists, even if everyone is living very comfortably, there’ll be a proportion defined as ‘in poverty’.

So me claiming carers for my disabled husband, quitting my teaching career to do so as otherwise he'd need 24/7 inpatient care means I have no self respect?

Just imagine being jealous of people who have the least money and possibly disabilities? That's the worst type of human emotion. Everyone feels the need to find someone to step on. But they deny the reality of these people's lives and reframe it as a picnic. Like people who minimise atrocities against the vulnerable.

As usual people cite extreme examples. No one begrudges a disabled child/family the chance of a day out at a subsidised price.

But the list of those qualifying for the discount is quite extensive.

As a pp said, who it does eliminate is those of modest means. I shall not be going.

Comparison is the thief of joy.

I hope you had a nice day out despite the cost, but please don't begrudge others who may be having the hardest time of their lives.

My neighbours did a day trip using this because the dad has cancer and has had to give up his job while having treatment.

You just don't know what other people are going through so try to be kind.

The thread will fill up with outraged posts about benefit bashing but YA definitely NBU and I suspect the majority of people will agree. As the poll already shows.

I am with you OP, as a high rate tax payer I think everyone deserves to get to see these things and not only those on benefits.

My kids attend a state school and the kids who could not afford to go on the school trip and had to sit it out were those whose parents both work and get zero benefits.

All the kids whose parents are on benefit could go as it was a free trip for their kids. I think we should treat all children the same. If both parents are working it sets such a good example and then to penalise the kids is just mean.

I thought that giving a load of kids free breakfasts was "lifting them all out of poverty" 🤔

Chatsworth House is a private business owned by the Duke of Devonshire, not a charity or a government department, they can do what they like.

YANBU OP. The price differentials are crazy. Honestly, it should be everyone the same price.

We all know of (yes I do) of certain families on UC, few kids, rent paid paid by the state, council tax paid, their net income is sometimes greater than a working family who have to pay their rent/mortgage themselves. Such families can more easily afford the day trip to Chatsworth than you can OP. Although they might not chose that as outing…..

I’d be interested to know, the % of fully paid entrants compared to the subsidised entrants. What’s the take up.

We all pay their rent same for our cornflakes, we should all pay their same for cultural access too.

It’s the biggest con.