As the new year's financial pressures mount, a stark report reveals the heavy additional price of living with a disability in the UK. According to the charity Scope, disabled households face average extra costs of £1,095 every month compared to non-disabled people, amounting to a staggering £13,140 per year.
The Purpl Platform: Targeted Savings for Disabled People
In response to this financial burden, a new UK-based savings platform called Purpl offers a potential lifeline. Founded by Georgina Colman, who lives with multiple sclerosis (MS), Purpl is designed specifically to help disabled people cut costs without altering their essential lifestyle. The platform could enable users to save over £700 this year.
Purpl provides discount codes and financial advice tailored to the disabled community, with support from major brands including Morrisons, eBay, EDF Energy, and Samsung. Users typically save an average of £15 per discount code on everything from groceries and energy bills to travel and leisure activities.
How It Works and Who Qualifies
To access the savings, individuals must have a disability or long-term health condition as defined by the Equality Act 2010. Verification requires documentation such as a PIP (Personal Independence Payment) award letter, a Blue Badge, a Disabled Persons Railcard, an NHS diagnosis letter, or an Access Card.
Georgina Colman created Purpl after her own MS diagnosis highlighted the relentless extra expenses. "I spend money every month on therapies, equipment like walking aids, 'free from' food, and higher heating costs," she explained. "These are not luxuries; they are what keep me moving and improve my quality of life."
Real-World Impact and Monthly Savings
The platform states that members using four or more discount codes can save roughly £58 per month. Early users have already seen significant benefits.
Sue from Cleveland reported saving £48 a month on her Morrisons shop, calling it a "massive help." Meanwhile, Kirsty Northam from Berkshire noted her usual £100 weekly grocery bill dropped to about £90 using Purpl, and her family enjoyed a discounted trip to Chessington.
"I hope that through Purpl, we can help disabled people with their everyday expenses so life is a little easier and more affordable," Colman added, expressing her aim to attract more partner brands to widen the savings for the UK's disabled community, which constitutes around 24% of the population.
