HMS Belfast: A 29.50 Pound Ticket Is 3 Pounds on Universal Credit

An adult ticket to HMS Belfast is £29.50. The same ticket is £3 if you claim Universal Credit, and £3 covers five people.

“UK residents on Universal Credit, Pension Credit and other named benefits can buy tickets to HMS Belfast for £3 for up to five members of their household.”

Work it against the gate price. Two adults and three children pay £103.25 at the standard rate. The same five on the scheme pay £15.

The eligible benefits are listed in full: Universal Credit, Working Tax Credit, Child Tax Credit, Pension Credit, Employment and Support Allowance, Income Support and Jobseeker’s Allowance.

Three conditions, all of them firm. Tickets are online only and cannot be bought at the ticket office on the day. You need the booking confirmation, proof of the benefit, and photo ID. And visitor numbers are limited, so dates and timeslots can sell out.

Children under 5 and carers accompanying a disabled visitor are free anyway and do not need to pre-book.

The price you are shown is 10 per cent more than the price you can pay

Two columns on the ticket page, and the higher one is the default.

Adult: £29.50 with donation, £26.80 standard.

Child aged 5 to 15: £14.75 with donation, £13.40 standard.

Concessions, meaning 65 and over, students and disabled visitors: £26.55 with donation, £24.10 standard.

Child under 5: free. Carer, one per disabled visitor: free. IWM member: free.

The gap is a 10 per cent voluntary donation, which lets IWM reclaim tax on the whole ticket under Gift Aid. It is worth giving if you can. It is also worth knowing you are not obliged to, and that the standard column exists.

On a family of four that is £8.85 of voluntary donation presented as the price.

Membership pays back in two visits

Worth the arithmetic before you buy a second ticket anywhere in the group.

IWM membership gives free admission to all the charging branches: IWM Duxford, Churchill War Rooms and HMS Belfast.

At £26.80 a visit, two IWM sites in a year is most of a membership. If you were going to do Churchill War Rooms as well, do the sum first.

The free IWM branches, including IWM London in Lambeth, are free to everyone regardless.

Nine decks, and you should allow three hours

The museum’s own guidance, and it is not padding.

“With nine decks to explore, there’s so much to discover at HMS Belfast. We recommend allocating at least three hours for your visit, but many visitors stay for half a day or more.”

The ship held 950 people and has its own chapel, radio station and bakery. IWM’s scale comparison: you could almost lay Big Ben across its deck twice.

Open 10am to 6pm, last entry 5pm, every day except 24 to 26 December.

Note the hour between last entry and close against a three hour recommendation. Arriving at five is not a visit.

The quietest time is the afternoon after 3pm, which is IWM’s own advice, though it warns large groups can be in all day.

Most of the ship is not wheelchair accessible, and IWM says so

Unusually direct, and the detail is what makes it useful.

“Unfortunately, the nature of the ship makes access to some of the Upper Decks and Lower Decks inaccessible to wheelchair users and unsuitable for people with restricted mobility.”

What has been modified and is accessible: the Main Deck, the Quarterdeck, the Boat Deck and the cafe.

The Main Deck is not a consolation prize. It holds the Laundry, the Ship’s Chapel, the Bakery, the Galley, the World of Warships room, the Sick Bay, the Mess Decks and the dental surgery, which is most of what people come to see.

The roof bar is wheelchair accessible via the lift at the admissions and shop building.

Getting in: six steps or a ramp to the pavilion where the visit starts. There is a gender-neutral accessible toilet in the shop before you board, with baby changing.

IWM has an AccessAble guide and a visual story for the ship.

Leave the pushchair, and there is nowhere to park a car

Two practical warnings that catch families.

“Prams, pushchairs, and strollers are allowed in certain areas of the ship, but we would advise not to bring them at all if possible.”

They are permitted only on the exterior decks: the Quarter Deck, Boat Deck and Fo’c’sle. There is a designated area on the Quarter Deck to leave them while you go inside, at your own risk.

And the car: “There is no car park at HMS Belfast”, there is no blue badge parking for visitors, and the ship is inside the Congestion Zone.

Bag searches may be conducted before entry.

Getting there

HMS Belfast, The Queen’s Walk, London SE1 2JH, moored between London Bridge and Tower Bridge.

London Bridge is under half a mile, on Thameslink, Southern and Southeastern, plus the Jubilee and Northern lines.

Buses 47, 343 and 381, stopping at Abbots Lane and Hay’s Galleria.

The London Bridge City Thames Clipper pier is 0.2 miles away, which is the best arrival if you are coming along the river.

Santander Cycles dock on Tooley Street, 0.3 miles, with bike racks outside London Bridge station.

What else is on

Pressure: The D-Day Decision, a display on the weather forecast behind the D-Day decision, tied to the film now in UK cinemas.

Family Activities every weekend, and daily during school holidays.

Guided Tour: The Second World War, every Wednesday.

The ship also hosts children’s birthday parties.

How to plan it

On a named benefit: £3 each, up to five of you, online only. Bring the booking, the proof and photo ID.

Paying full price: the standard column is £26.80, not the £29.50 shown by default.

Doing Churchill War Rooms too: price up IWM membership first.

Allow three hours, and do not arrive near the 5pm last entry.

Quietest after 3pm.

Wheelchair user: the Main Deck has most of the ship’s highlights, but the upper and lower decks are not accessible.

Leave the pushchair if you can, and park it on the Quarter Deck if you cannot.

Do not drive. No car park, no blue badge bays, and the Congestion Zone.

HMS Belfast

Address

The Queen’s Walk, London SE1 2JH, moored between London Bridge and Tower Bridge

Nearest

London Bridge, under half a mile, on the Jubilee and Northern lines and national rail. Buses 47, 343 and 381. London Bridge City Thames Clipper pier 0.2 miles

Hours

10am to 6pm, last entry 5pm. Open every day except 24 to 26 December

Booking

Online. The 3 pound benefit tickets are online only and cannot be bought at the ticket office. IWM membership covers Duxford, Churchill War Rooms and HMS Belfast

Price

Adult 29.50 pounds with the voluntary donation or 26.80 standard. Child 5 to 15 14.75 or 13.40. Concessions for over 65s, students and disabled visitors 26.55 or 24.10. Under 5s, carers and IWM members free. 3 pounds each for up to five in a household on named benefits

Standing

A Second World War cruiser with nine decks, its own chapel, radio station and bakery, which carried 950 crew. IWM recommends at least three hours

How to get in

Anyone on Universal Credit, Working Tax Credit, Child Tax Credit, Pension Credit, ESA, Income Support or Jobseeker’s Allowance can buy tickets at 3 pounds for up to five of their household, online in advance with proof and photo ID. The headline adult price of 29.50 includes a 10 per cent voluntary donation, and the standard price is 26.80. The nature of the ship makes the Upper and Lower Decks inaccessible to wheelchair users, though the Main Deck, Quarterdeck, Boat Deck and cafe are modified and hold most of the highlights. There is no car park and no blue badge parking, and the ship is in the Congestion Zone. Pushchairs are discouraged and only allowed on exterior decks.

Where to go next

Churchill War Rooms is the other charging IWM site in London, and IWM London is free.

Tower Bridge is a few minutes along the river, and London Bridge restaurants cover lunch either side.

Questions we get asked

How much is HMS Belfast?

An adult is £29.50 including a 10% voluntary donation, or £26.80 at the standard price. Children aged 5 to 15 are £14.75 or £13.40, concessions for over 65s, students and disabled visitors are £26.55 or £24.10, and under 5s, carers and IWM members go free. Anyone on a named benefit can pay £3 for up to five people.

Can you get cheap tickets to HMS Belfast?

Yes. UK residents receiving Universal Credit, Working Tax Credit, Child Tax Credit, Pension Credit, Employment and Support Allowance, Income Support or Jobseeker's Allowance can buy £3 tickets for up to five members of their household. They must be booked online in advance and cannot be bought on the day, and you need the booking confirmation, proof of the benefit and photo ID.

How long do you need at HMS Belfast?

At least three hours, which is IWM's own recommendation, and many visitors stay half a day or more. There are nine decks. The ship is open 10am to 6pm with last entry at 5pm, so arriving near last entry leaves far less time than the visit needs.

Is HMS Belfast wheelchair accessible?

Partly, and IWM is direct about the limits. The nature of the ship makes some of the Upper and Lower Decks inaccessible to wheelchair users and unsuitable for people with restricted mobility. The Main Deck, Quarterdeck, Boat Deck and cafe have been modified and are accessible, and the Main Deck holds the Laundry, Chapel, Bakery, Galley, Sick Bay, Mess Decks and dental surgery. There is no blue badge parking.

Is there parking at HMS Belfast?

No. There is no car park and no blue badge parking for visitors, and the ship sits inside the Congestion Zone. London Bridge station is under half a mile away, buses 47, 343 and 381 stop nearby, and the London Bridge City Thames Clipper pier is 0.2 miles.

Is IWM membership worth it for HMS Belfast?

It depends how many IWM sites you will visit. Membership gives free admission to all the charging branches, which are IWM Duxford, Churchill War Rooms and HMS Belfast. At £26.80 a standard adult ticket, visiting two of them in a year covers most of the cost. IWM London in Lambeth is free to everyone anyway.

When is HMS Belfast quietest?

Afternoons after 3pm, according to IWM, which warns the ship can be very busy at weekends and in peak tourist season and may be more crowded, warmer and noisier then. Large groups can be in throughout the day regardless.