More Islanders On Low incomes Can Now Get Cheap Wightlink Ferry Travel

Wightlink's fares are cheaper for Islanders if you receive Universal Credit

We frequently jabber on about the fact that Isle of Wight residents on low incomes can get cheap ferry travel.

If this is news to you, take a look at our guide to low income discounts on the Isle of Wight ferry.

This a short blog to publicise a change to scheme, which - believe it or not - makes it available to more people. 

​I rather suspect that lots of people don't realise this discount is available to them.

What's Changing With Wightlink's Discounted Fares Scheme?

All of the Isle of Wight ferry companies run some sort of cheap travel scheme for Islanders on low incomes - but they all take a different approach to eligibility and use a different name for it.

Wightlink call it the Discounted Fares Scheme. It is currently available to 'Islanders in receipt of Council Tax support and Housing Benefit' but will be opened up to 'Island residents receiving Universal Credit from Monday, 7 April 2025.'

Islanders on Universal Credit could already get a discount with Red Funnel but this makes it easier if you need to get to Portsmouth or Lymington.

The exact amount you save isn't published by Wightlink. My hunch is that you get a similar price to the Multilink discount. That's about £75 for a return journey on the car ferry. Don't quote me on that price, it's just a guess and I'd be pleased to hear from you if you use the scheme and can give us more details about how much you pay.

Red Funnel's similar scheme gets you the car ferry for about £61.

How Do I Get The Discount?

You need fill out a form on this page. The Isle of Wight Council will then assess whether you are eligible. Importantly, you don't need to do this every time you travel. They will check 'on a periodic basis' that you are still entitled to the discount.

What about Red Funnel and Hovertravel?

Red Funnel and Hovertravel run their own schemes. One crusty old document I found suggested that 14,000 people are eligible to save money but it may well be more than that.

Here's a summary of the three schemes and how they work.

Company	Wightlink	Red Funnel	Hovertravel
Scheme name	Discounted Fares Scheme	Assisted Fares Scheme	IOW Council Affordable Fares Scheme
Eligibility	Universal credit, Council Tax Support or Housing Benefit	Universal credit	Housing benefit, Council Tax Support, Income Support, Job Seekers Allowance), Employment Support Allowance, Pension Credit, Universal credit  (full criteria and some exclusions here)
How to apply	Fill out this form once	Fill out this form every six months	Book online then bring proof to the terminal
Price	Not published	£61.20 return with a car (or 20% off if cheaper). £12.80 as a foot passenger	£16.72 as a foot passenger