Are you receiving universal credit? The school holidays can be expensive, these fun universal credit days out may help you have some fun family days out on a budget. If, like me you are unable to afford a lavish holiday away with the kids then you may be looking for days out. These do not come cheap either by the time you have added travel, food and tickets. It can still sometimes be out of reach for a lot of families.
Even if you are going away on holiday, the summer holidays stretch across 6 weeks, so days out are good for breaking these up. Again, you do not want to be spending lots on days out. Especially if you are on universal credit. For those in receipt of universal credit, these fun days out are great for school holidays. They aren’t just limited to the summer holidays either, so keep an eye out at other times of the year.
Before you get into the article, remember the summers of your childhood. As a family we never went abroad as kids, we had a few days out here and there. Most of our time was spent playing in the garden, with friends or at the local park. You are most likely the same. Remember how amazing those summers were? They felt like they went on forever, we all learnt valuable life skills – like spice girls dance routines 🤣.
Don’t be too hard on yourself if you aren’t living the insta lifestyle. These fun universal credit days out can help you and your children have a great summer holidays without breaking the bank! Most of the attractions offering universal credit discount are based in London. There were others in different areas , but the selection didn’t seem as good.
Universal credit Days out in London
Universal credit days out outside of London
Fun universal credit days out in London
These reduced days out in London are available with proof of universal credit.
Kew gardens
Kew gardens is making a conscious effort to make it more accessible to everyone. This includes reduced entry for those in receipt of universal or pension credit.Tickets typically cost around £22 for an adult and £6 for a child without the universal credit discount. This is an amazing offer, where tickets are only £1, you can top up to £2 with a donation. Each benefit holder is entitled to buy 1 reduced ticket each. You would still need to pay for the kids to get in. This is not just limited to those on universal credit, and applies to other benefits too. They also offer discounts to local residents, so there are a few ways to save. Tickets can be purchased here.
Cutty sark
Set sail on the cutty sark this summer. Or imagine you are anyway. There is lots of availability for universal credit tickets for the summer holidays. Tickets are usually £20 for an adult and £10 for a child. With proof of universal credit you can get a ticket for just £2. Not only that but you can get tickets for £2 each for all members of your group (up to 6 per household). They also do FREE tickets to people with a blue light card. Absolute bargain. You can get your tickets here.
Horniman museum
The Horniman museum has lots to explore. Until November this year they have a dinosaur exhibition, and they regularly have different events and exhibitions. It is free to enter the museum, but you will have to pay to visit some additional exhibitions. To visit the dinosaur exhibition, aquarium and butterfly house you will need to buy additional tickets. You can not pre-book these tickets, they can be booked in person, so you may want to arrive early to avoid disappointment. Full details here.
London Zoo
These sell out quick!! They aren’t limited to the summer holidays though. You can visit throughout the year and at weekends. All universal credit tickets are sold out for the summer holidays, but you can book for after this. The ticket enables 6 people to get in, adults are £7 (with a £1 donation) and children are £4 (with a £1 donation). Make sure you book in advance, and take proof of your benefits with you.
The link to buy tickets is here.
The tower of London & royal palaces
As with London zoo, universal credit tickets for the tower of London sell out fast! There is very limited availability for the rest of the summer holidays but you can get tickets all year round including weekends. You can get up to 6 reduced tickets with proof of receiving universal credit. These must be booked online in advance. Tickets are only £1 each!! Without a discount there are around £35 per adult and £27.50 per child.
There may be more availability for the royal palaces though. You can also get £1 universal credit tickets for Hampton court and Kensington Palace. You also get 50% off food and drink with your £1 ticket, and children under 12 eat free with each adult meal purchased!
London Wetland Centre
Up until the beginning of November the London wetland centre is offering fun days out for a reduced price if you are receiving universal credit. Tickets usually cost around £18 for adults and £12 for children. With proof of universal credit it is £5 per adult and £3 per child. You do need to book these tickets in advance though, they are not available on the door. If you are looking to see ducks, birds, otters and do some pond dipping, then get the details here.
The cartoon museum
This is a museum in London dedicated to – you guessed it, cartoons! The museum features comics and cartoons and are running several workshops over the summer. It usually costs £9.50 per adult and under 18’s get in free. With proof of universal credit though, you can get in for £2. The bookable workshops are around £12 per child and last an hour and a half. You can find out more here. Please note, they are closed Mondays.
The King’s gallery – Buckingham Palace
You can visit what was the Queen’s gallery and is now the King’s gallery at Buckingham palace for £1 each. There are many different exhibitions such as royal portraits, and dressing the Georgians. Tickets do not include access to the royal residences. You can have up to 6 people in your group, all can get a £1 ticket. Tickets are usually £19 per adult and £9.50 per child. So this is a great saving, you can get more info here.
London transport musuem
Kids go free to the London transport museum, and with this incredible deal adults can get an annual pass for just £1! Each individual person would need to provide proof to obtain the £1 yearly pass. They usually cost £24.50, which is still pretty good value for a whole year. If your little one loves vehicles, then this may be the day out for you. All the info you need is here.
Fun universal credit days outside of London
Although there are many fun universal credit days out in London, they aren’t limited to there. There is plenty of fun to be had outside of London too!
Hillsborough Castle and gardens – Northern Ireland
As with the other historic places, you are able to get universal credit tickets for £1 here at Hillsborough castle. As with the other palaces, your ticket also enables you to get 50% off food in the cafe, and kids under 12 eat free when an adults meal is purchased. You can get tickets here.
The Eden project – Cornwall
The iconic Eden project is a must visit when in Cornwall. It is a great place to connect with nature and has play spaces for children as well as many weird and wonderful plants. Tickets are £38 for adults and £12 for 5-16 year olds. This does give you entry for the whole year though, so if you are planning on going regularly it may work out cheaper to do this than buying universal credit tickets. Using universal credit you can get adult tickets for £5 and children for £1. These allow entry for 1 day only. It is best to book online here to avoid disappointment.
The King’s gallery – Edinburgh
As with the King’s gallery in Buckingham Palace, the gallery in Edinburgh also sells tickets to those on universal credit for £1. It is advisable to book online before you visit, but there are a limited number of tickets available on the door. You can find more info here.
York castle museum
Take a walk down a Victorian street, or visit the cell of Dick Turpin! The museum offers free tickets for people receiving universal credit, pre-booking online is advised but you can purchase tickets in person on the day. All the information is here.
Tank museum – Dorset
The tank museum in Dorset is what kid’s dreams are made of! A whole museum dedicated to tanks. As well as exhibitions, there is an action arena. Tickets cost £19.35 for an adult if pre-booking and £10.49 for a child. These can then be used for entry all year round. With proof of universal credit adults can get in for £10.75 and children for £6. These tickets can not be converted to annual passes though, so if you are planning on going more than once in a year then you may be best to book standard tickets.
Chatsworth – Bakewell
Chatsworth has a beautiful house, stunning grounds, farmyard and playground. Making it the perfect place for a fun day out. Universal credit tickets include entry to the house, garden, playground and farmyard. These tickets would usually cost £35 per adult and £10 per child. With proof of universal credit this is £3 per adult and £1 per child. Tickets must be booked online in advance here.
Edinburgh zoo & Highland wildlife park
If you like days out at the zoo then these tickets help you have a fab day out for a fraction of the cost. At Edinburgh zoo you can get reduced tickets with proof of universal credit, these must be booked in advance and there seems to be good availability. Tickets are £7 each with the discount rather than £26.50 for adults and £17 for children. Tickets for the zoo are here.
Highland wildlife park also offers the same discount, entry for up to 6 people with proof of universal credit. Tickets must be booked in advance online here.
Martin Mere Wetland centre – Lancashire
This wetland centre always makes a great day out. With lots of space to wander, and many different species of birds you are sure to discover something new every time you visit. With proof of universal credit adult tickets are £5 each for adults and £3 for kids. You can find all the info here. Tickets are valid for up to 6 people and must be booked online in advance.
Other fun days out
If you aren’t on universal credit there are other ways you can enjoy great days out for less. Not everyone who isn’t on benefits can afford days out either. Like I already said, they’re expensive! Be sure to utilise free museums, play areas etc. There are other ways you can save on paid days out though. These schemes below can help you save, so it’s worth checking if you are eligible for any of these.
1/2 price kid’s tickets
Some attractions are running a ‘real fun deals’ scheme, with half price kid’s tickets until the 3rd September. If you want to frighten your children into silence then a trip to The London Dungeons, could be for you. Tickets can be purchased online here.
I can’t think of much better in life than being surrounded by chocolate! What better place than at Cadbury world this Summer. Over the summer period you can get half price kid’s tickets when you book an adult. Up to 3 children can get in for £10 each per adult, instead of £20. You need to book in advance online here.
Sea life Weymouth is offering kid’s tickets for £7.50 this summer, you can book these online here. Sealife Brighton is £9 per child, you can book online here.
Shrek’s adventure in London is great, it won’t fill a whole day but it is lots of fun. You can see the review of when we went here. You can book tickets for £13 per child here.
Blue Peter badge
Did you know kid’s can apply for a blue Peter badge? They’re really easy to get, there are a number of different challenges on the blue Peter website. The most simple option is to draw a picture and send it in. There are also badges for reading, contributing to conversations on the website and being kind. Once you have a blue Peter badge your child can get free entry in a number of places. You can see the full list here.
Annual passes
Remember a lot of attractions such as Beaulieu in the New Forest and Windsor castle allow you to convert your day ticket to an annual pass for no extra charge. All you need to do it declare it as a donation, add your details for gift aid and you can visit as much as you want!
Pay what you can
Some attractions are offering pay what you can schemes, which may help those who are on low incomes but receive no benefits. Places such as the Barbican offer this scheme.
National rail 2 for 1
Travelling by train is not better for the environment, but can help you save money too. National rail links with many attractions to offer 2 for 1 on tickets or a great discount. These include 50% off Whipsnade zoo and Birmingham science museum. All the details can be found here.
Tickets for good
You may be able to get discounted tickets to events through Tickets for good. Being an NHS enployee I have actually used this portal and only paid a booking fee for event tickets. If you are eligible to sign up then you definitely should. Remember to check it regularly, details are here.
Tesco clubcard boost
If you shop in Tesco it may be worth saving your vouchers for days out in the holidays. With your points having double their value on days out you get more for your money than using them on your shopping. You can even use them towards English heritage membership so you can enjoy many days out each year. You can see where you can spend them here.
AA member benefits
If you have AA for insurance or breakdown cover then you have access to member discounts. These include Legoland & Alton towers. Definitely worth checking before you plan any fun days out. You can get the details here.
Discounted tickets
Some of the merlin attractions are offering reduced kid’s tickets over the Summer holidays. These attractions offering £19 tickets include:
Finally
I hope you have found this article on fun universal credit days out useful. Please let me know in the comments if there are any other ones you come across. Also if you come across any other schemes for those who may be on low incomes but may not receive benefits, please share so others can benefit too!
Thanks for reading,
Soph x
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