Universal Credit discounts on days out. Where to get £1 to £10 tickets in 2026

Days out add up fast. Tickets, travel, food, the “can I have an ice cream” moments. The good news is that more and more UK attractions now offer reduced-price entry for families on Universal Credit (and, often, other named benefits too).

Below is a practical, verified list of places you can currently get discounted tickets, plus a few that are commonly shared online that I couldn’t fully verify today (so you can double-check before you travel).

Quick checklist before you book

1. Check the eligibility list for that attraction. Many schemes include other benefits (like Pension Credit, Tax Credits, ESA, Income Support, JSA).
2. Book in advance where required. Some offers are online-only and sell out.
3. Bring proof on the day. Usually your Universal Credit statement in the app, or a proof-of-benefit letter.
4. Bring ID if needed. Some venues ask for named ID to match the booking.
5. Watch the household limits. Commonly 4 to 6 people per household, sometimes with a maximum number of adults.

London and nearby

Historic Royal Palaces.

£1 tickets for visits to the Tower of London, Hampton Court Palace and Kensington Palace (and some other sites listed on their scheme page). You book online, then collect printed tickets on the day with proof and ID.

Visit Website: https://www.hrp.org.uk/one-pound-tickets/

Royal Collection Trust.

£1 tickets for eligible benefits for Windsor Castle, Buckingham Palace, Palace of Holyroodhouse, Royal Mews, plus The King’s Galleries in London and Edinburgh (selected exhibitions). Must book in advance.

Visit Website: https://www.rct.uk/one-pound-tickets

St Paul’s Cathedral.

£1 sightseeing tickets for eligible visitors. Designed for one adult and up to four children (aged 6–17). Tickets can be booked online (up to three months ahead) or bought on the door. Proof and ID required.

Visit Website: https://www.stpauls.co.uk/one-pound-sightseeing-tickets-for-st-pauls-cathedral

Kew Gardens.

You can visit Kew Gardens for £1 (or £2 with a donation). You can also buy up to four additional guest tickets. Proof is checked on arrival.

Visit Website: https://www.kew.org/kew-gardens/visit-kew-gardens/ways-to-save

Also check out: Things To Do In Northamptonshire For Families

Science Museum, London.

£5 tickets for a day visit to Wonderlab, Power Up, or an IMAX documentary (separate £5 tickets per experience). Limited availability, and tickets must be booked at least one day before your visit.

Visit Website: https://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/universal-credit-ticket-discounts

Royal Museums Greenwich.

£2 tickets for Cutty Sark, Royal Observatory Greenwich, and selected exhibitions at the National Maritime Museum. Up to six people per household. Book online, then collect your tickets on the day with documents.

Visit Website: https://www.rmg.co.uk/plan-your-visit/tickets-prices/universal-credit-tickets

HMS Belfast (Imperial War Museums).

£3 tickets for eligible benefits. Online only. Up to five discounted tickets per household.

Visit Website: https://www.iwm.org.uk/visits/hms-belfast/booking/universal-credit

WWT London Wetland Centre (Barnes).

Reduced-price Universal Credit tickets, booked online in advance, £5 adult, £3 junior. Up to 6 people per household (with a cap on adults). Under 3s are free.

Visit Website: https://www.wwt.org.uk/wetland-centres/london/plan-your-visit/tickets/universal-credit-tickets

Horniman Museum and Gardens.

The Museum and Gardens are free to enter, but the Aquarium, Butterfly House, Voyage to the Deep and some exhibitions are ticketed. Their Universal Credit entry scheme offers reduced-price tickets (from £2) and you can buy up to four tickets per attraction. Proof required.

Visit Website: https://www.horniman.ac.uk/plan-your-visit/

The Cartoon Museum.

Universal Credit tickets are £5. Under-18s go free.

Visit Website: https://www.cartoonmuseum.org/visit-us

ZSL London Zoo and Whipsnade Zoo.

Both zoos offer reduced-price tickets for those on Universal Credit and other listed benefits, with online advance booking and proof required on arrival. The zoo information pages don’t show the exact price, and I couldn’t access the protected booking pages to confirm the current amount today.

London Zoo. Visit Website: https://www.londonzoo.org/plan-your-visit/london-zoo-tickets/universal-credit-tickets
Whipsnade Zoo. Visit Website: https://www.whipsnadezoo.org/plan-your-visit/whipsnade-zoo-tickets/universal-credit-tickets

London Transport Museum.

This is repeatedly listed by councils and budget-days-out round-ups, but I couldn’t access the museum’s official ticket pages due to a site restriction. Treat this one as “likely but please confirm on the official site before you go”.

Visit Website: https://www.ltmuseum.co.uk/visit/tickets

Further afield. still brilliant value

Chatsworth House.

Universal Credit tickets (and other named benefits) with entry to the house, garden, farmyard and adventure playground. Must book online in advance, and proof is required on arrival. There’s also a 25% off food and drink offer at selected outlets for ticket holders.

Visit Website: https://www.chatsworth.org/visit-chatsworth/book-tickets/universal-credit-tickets/

Eden Project

Discounted day tickets for eligible benefits. Household limit applies (usually 2 adults and 2 children). Proof is required.

Visit Website: https://www.edenproject.com/visit/universal-credit-pension-credit-day-ticket

Marwell Zoo.

Reduced price tickets for those on Universal Credit and other listed benefits. Currently shown as £10 adults and £5 children, with carers and under-2s free.

Visit Website: https://www.marwell.org.uk/ticket-prices-offers/community-access-scheme/

Compton Verney (Warwickshire).

They offer a £2 ticket for recipients of Universal Credit and Pension Credit (and other listed benefits). You can book in advance or buy on arrival, with proof required.

Visit Website: https://www.comptonverney.org.uk/visit/

Black Country Living Museum. (Dudley)

BCLM lists Universal Credit concession tickets among their prices. This is a concession rather than a £1-style scheme, so it’s still worth checking the current pricing before you commit.

Visit Website: https://bclm.com/plan-your-visit/prices/

Dudley Zoo and Castle.

Dudley Zoo has run a discounted March offer for Universal Credit and other selected benefits, with online booking, household caps, and proof required.

“As a charity, we want everyone to be able to have the opportunity to visit”. Zoo Director Derek Grove

Visit Website: https://www.dudleyzoo.org.uk/discounted-tickets-for-benefit-claimants/

Edinburgh Zoo and Highland Wildlife Park.

Both currently show Universal Credit daytime tickets at £8 for adults and £8 for children (3–15), under 3s free, carer free. Must book online.

Edinburgh Zoo. Visit Website: https://www.edinburghzoo.org.uk/uc-tickets
Highland Wildlife Park. Visit Website: https://www.highlandwildlifepark.org.uk/uc-tickets

“Access to green spaces can have enormous physical health and wellbeing benefits.” Ben Supple, RZSS deputy chief executive

Eureka! Science + Discovery (Wirral).

Eureka! Science + Discovery has run £3 day tickets for families on Universal Credit or Pension Credit until the end of the summer holidays, and states it doesn’t apply to Eureka! The National Children’s Museum in Halifax. This one is date-limited, so check the current post before you plan a trip.

Visit Website: https://discover.eureka.org.uk/universal-credit-day-tickets-are-back-now-including-pension-credit/

Thinktank Birmingham, (Birmingham Museums):

Visit Website: https://www.birminghammuseums.org.uk/about/policies-plans-and-reports/concessions-policy

Castell Caernarfon, Blaenafon Ironworks, Chepstow Castle (Wales):

Visit Website: https://cadw.gov.wales/visit/places-to-visit/admissions/one-pound-tickets

Do you know of any other universal credit discounts available? Let us know in the comments below!

The events and offers listed in this guide are run by third-party organisers, and all details were correct at the time of publication, based on information from their official websites. However, changes or cancellations can happen at short notice. To avoid any disappointment, we recommend double-checking the event information on the official websites before making plans.