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.

Yep. Paying full price when you can only see some rooms downstairs if there are 4 other disabled people on the upper floors would be a real PITA. There isn’t even a fully accessible route around all the gardens.

I wouldn't mind betting you have 12 x the disposable income of people on UC though. That's the important figure. I'm sick of people talking about UC claimants like they're living it up on benefits, it's just not true.

For many it's still not a do-able day out. Financially for some, practically for others.

Judging by the voting, she's found plenty of people who care?

I think the issue is the significant difference in price.
There are a large number of people on incomes that fall just above meeting the threshold for UC, so they still miss out as they are deemed poor enough for benefits but they still can't afford luxuries like days out like this.

This is one occasion when they are ‘twelve times better off”. On balance, pretty much everything else they buy will be at around the same cost as it is to you. Even though they are worse off. Don’t hear you complaining about that.

The grounds are completely free and you can use their very nice toilets. There are food outlets or you can take a picnic. We park in the car park in Baslow which isn't free but is a reasonable price. There is also a bus service which stops in the grounds.

You honestly think the OP would have twelve times the amount of disposable income than the average uc claimants? 12 times?

She can come back and answer herself but I'm willing to bet she has nothing like 12 times as much!!

Whatever happened to the thread where a poster quit their job to prove you got more on UC than working ? From memory it turned out that quite a few posters had just chucked their jobs in to get a free car and TV.

All inspired by theads on Mumsnet.

That's true, but many people on benefits have all kinds of problems apart from low income, and these concessions are offered to give them and their kids an interesting or educational or fun experience. They need the visit to be very cheap, not just somewhat cheaper, to make it affordable.

I would have thought if you don't like it, vote for a right wing paty, as they will reduce the number of UC claimants.

Contextual offers are granted based on the school attended, nothing to do with benefits/income.

She is making it up. The maximum pip payment is 778.4 per month. In order to be eligible for this, you would need to be completely unable to walk and need personal care for more than half the week for cooking, eating, drinking, washing, dressing, communication, socialising and managing your money. Unless OP’s ex is profoundly disabled and unable to take care of themselves, they are not getting £900 per month, and even if they were severely disabled, the maximin is less than that and why would anyone begrudge that payment which allows a person to live?

Thanks for this thread. I love Chatsworth but it’s not easy to get to without a car. I’ve just looked it up and there’s now more buses from various places meaning I can now get there and afford admission without using our food budget. Thanks OP!

Its just actual spitefulness
To get to Chatsworth is not going to be cheap for someone raising a family on less than £24,000 but you want them to be unable to go, for their kids not to experience this even though you can afford it.
I could oerhaps understand you might be upset if the price meant you couldn't go but you can just begrudge others less fortunate of the opportunity
I've never claimed a benefit in my life because I've never needed to and have had some lovely days out at Chatsworth, I think its nice the Duke of Devonshire offers this concession

These threads always come in handy! Have a great time.

It's true, I think that's why the Eden Project offers such generous deals for locals (and also UC claimants). It ensures a regular flow of visitors in the off season.

Telling people they are not allowed to have valid feelings, arrogant and ignorant. Also both ugly traits.

A paying several thousand in tax each month to has every right to be pissed off that they arw having to pay 12 times more because they are not in receipt of benefits. That does not equal being jealous or wanting to be on benefits l. It’s a natural reaction to an unfair system.

irony is the OP, and many more like her, could comfortably afford many days out if we weren’t having to subside such a large welfare bill with our taxes.

I think it would be fairer if the general admission price was reduced a bit and perhaps UC people got an additional £10 off. The general entry price is very high especially as an adult I don't want to go on any rides myself they make me feel sick I'm just taking kids.

If you know it's been done before, why are you bashing UC claimants instead of private organisations with charitable aims? Chatsworth are complying with their Memorandum of Association. All money from entry tickets to Chatsworth House goes to their charitable trust to fund conservation, educational programmes and community outreach. They also allow discounted entry to people with a National Art Pass and free use of their grounds/buildings to charitable organisations or for the benefit of charitable causes. Do you object to this too? If not, why not? If you do, why do you only mention being bothered by discounts offered to those on UC?

If you think more people should have the opportunity to visit, have you contacted them and suggested they consider free entry once a year or once a quarter?

I completely agree that entry prices to the vast majority of places like stately homes, zoos, amusement parks etc are far too expensive. But that is nothing new. I think it was mentioned on a similar thread not long ago that there seems to be an expectation now that we visit more of these types of place more often than would have been expected previously.

I understand being so poor that £33 entry fee will never be achievable - when there literally isn't a penny to spare and at least one adult in the household is missing meals so that their child can eat. I also understand not having the money to spend immediately, but being able to save for it. Or deciding that your financial priorities lie elsewhere and the entry price is too steep, regardless of whether you can save for it or not. I don't understand the anger expressed by some people about perceived unfairness of life. If you can't or don't want to pay the entry price, don't go. Do free things, like visit the Chatsworth Estate parkland, go hiking, do the Monsal trail etc. Or consider all the places you'd like to see and check whether there are discounted options, like buying a trial 3 month National Art Pass (plus £5 to add your child), which will give you discounted entry to multiple places, including Chatsworth. Stop blaming those on UC for business decisions taken by private organisations.

Many, many years ago (1970s) my DH earned £1pw over the limit for claiming £10pw in benefits. He worked for the Government (under Lab & Con). We were really struggling. I used to walk 3 miles each way (no transport) with child in pushchair to meet him to get his wages (cash) to get weekly food.

I am not on UC, I work. I can’t afford to go to chatsworth. It’s the unfairness of it thst makes me angry. The left of this country hsve gone too far. The thing is, if I stop working I stop paying tax. If everybidy in my situation stopped working, who will pay for UC? This is why people are angry. If entry to chatsworth was £6 for everybody, or priced according to income then it would be fairer, but it’s a blunt cut off with nothing for people like me.

it doens't speak for all of us. Be clear about that.

And no, I don't claim but yes, I did. Whilst working both full and part-time.

Even if benefit claimants were charged £33 you would still have to pay £33, how exactly does this make you worse off?

You can quit your job and go on benefits if you think this is a better life, they are available to you just like to anyone else

Have the best time. I don’t know about anyone else, but for me the big difference between days out when I was on benefits and days out when I wasn’t, was the pressure for the day to be a success. We used to half jokingly check that everyone had had “Ten pounds worth of fun”. I’m not sure how much people who haven’t been on a low income understand how the stress can permeate every aspect of your life. The benefit of being able to go and do a nice thing without having to think “there goes the food budget” can’t be underestimated.