Cheap and Free Days Out on Benefits

Everyone deserves a day out, whatever's in their bank account. Lots of attractions now offer big discounts, and some even £1 tickets, for people on Universal Credit and other benefits, and the best places to find them are listed below. 🫶

🔎 Best guides to find offers

• The Money Course: a handy list of attractions with benefit-linked prices, including royal palaces, Royal Museums Greenwich and London Zoo, with some tickets from as little as £1.
• MoneySavingExpert: regularly updated guides to free and cheap days out and family deals.
• Days Out with Kids: searchable by area, with lots of free and low-cost ideas.
• Universal Credit Days Out guides: lists of attractions by region that others have compiled. They can go out of date, so always double-check on the attraction's own website.

🏛️ Examples of attractions with benefit-linked tickets

These come and go, but at the time of writing they include:

• Historic Royal Palaces (including the Tower of London and Hampton Court): £1 tickets for those on Universal Credit and other means-tested benefits.
• Royal Museums Greenwich (including the Cutty Sark): discounted tickets for Universal Credit claimants.
• Zoos and wildlife parks, such as London Zoo, Whipsnade, Dudley Zoo, Edinburgh Zoo and others. London Zoo lets up to six people living at the same address use the discount.
• Gardens and museums, such as Kew Gardens, RHS gardens and the Eden Project. Kew Gardens has offered £1 tickets for Universal Credit claimants, and Chatsworth House has offered tickets from £1 per child.
• Theatres and galleries, many of which have concession or low-price schemes for people on low incomes.

✅ Tips for using these schemes

• Check the attraction's own website first. Offers change often, and some run only on certain dates or in school holidays.
• Book ahead. Discounted tickets can sell out fast, especially in the holidays.
• Take proof with you. Most attractions will turn away discounted tickets if you can't show valid proof and photo ID. That usually means a screenshot of your Universal Credit account, or a recent award letter, plus a photo ID.
• Many schemes cover your household. Often up to six people can use the discounted rate, with just one adult showing the proof.
• It's not just Universal Credit. Other benefits that often qualify include Income Support, Jobseeker's Allowance, Employment and Support Allowance, Pension Credit and Child Tax Credit. Always check each attraction's list.
• Remember the cost of getting there. Some attractions are cheap to enter but expensive to reach, so check train, bus and parking costs too. Look into railcards and local travel offers.

🆓 Always free (or nearly free)

• Many national museums and galleries are free to enter, especially in the big cities. Check the museum's website for details.
• Local parks, woods, beaches, nature reserves and country parks cost little or nothing. Councils often list them on their websites.
• Libraries: often free events, activities and story times, and a nice warm, quiet place to sit.
• Free festivals and events: check your council's and local community groups' pages.
• Heritage Open Days each September let you visit lots of historic buildings for free.
• Council leisure cards: many local councils offer discounted swimming, gym and leisure access to people on benefits. Search "leisure card" with your council's name.

💬 Come and share!

Found a great deal? Taken the family out for a pound? Share it on the forum! Local tips from members are gold dust, and your discovery could make a day out possible for someone else. 💛

Offers, prices and eligibility change often and vary by attraction, so always check the attraction's own website before you travel. Never pay a third-party site to "unlock" benefit discounts. They should be free to claim directly.