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© 2026. The Purpl Co Limited. All rights reserved.
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© 2026. The Purpl Co Limited. All rights reserved.
18 min read
Written by
Georgina, Founder of Purpl
Published on
August 31, 2026
Last reviewed: 31 August 2026
Applies to: UK
Written by: Georgina, Founder of Purpl
Getting ready for a new school year can be expensive for any family, but when your child is disabled or has special educational needs, those costs can increase quickly.
Specialist footwear, sensory-friendly clothing, assistive technology, adapted equipment, transport and even creating somewhere suitable to study at home can all add to the disability price tag.
The good news is that you may not have to pay for everything yourself.
Depending on where you live and your child’s needs, support can include free SEND school transport, Personal Travel Budgets, school uniform grants, reasonable adjustments, specialist equipment, charitable grants and the Purpl Community Grant Fund.
And for the costs that are still left to you, there are specific Purpl offers that can help. For example, members can currently save 22% on full-price footwear at DB Wider Fit Shoes, 10% at Cosyfeet, 4% at Dell, up to 7% at Staples UK and 5% at Dunelm online and in store. Offers change, so always check the live terms before buying.
Purpl Tip: Before buying specialist equipment, technology or adaptations yourself, ask whether the school, council, NHS or another statutory service should provide it. A discount is useful when you genuinely need to buy something — but paying 10% less for something you should have received free is still paying too much.
TL;DR: Yes, children with SEND or mobility issues can qualify for free transport even if living within standard walking distances.
A child of compulsory school age can qualify for free school transport if they attend their nearest suitable school and cannot walk there because of their special educational needs, disability, or mobility problems.
In England, a child of compulsory school age can qualify for free school transport if they attend their nearest suitable school and cannot walk there because of their special educational needs, disability or mobility problem.
That applies even if their school is within the normal statutory walking distance.
For other children, the standard distances are generally:
The government’s free school transport guidance specifically includes children who cannot walk to their nearest suitable school because of SEND, disability or mobility difficulties.
There is also a dedicated SEND school transport application service for families in England and Wales. It confirms that any transport the council provides must be suitable for the child’s individual needs.
No. Having an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) does not automatically guarantee free transport, and not having an EHCP does not automatically rule a child out.
The important question is whether the child meets the relevant transport criteria.
Don’t rely only on your child’s diagnosis.
Explain why the actual journey is unreasonable or unsafe for them.
Useful evidence can include:
Purpl Tip: Explain the journey from your front door to school. Saying “my child has autism” tells the council much less than explaining that they have no road-safety awareness, may bolt when overwhelmed and cannot safely use a crowded bus.
TL;DR: A Personal Travel Budget (PTB) is direct council funding given to parents to arrange their child’s school transport independently.
Instead of the council arranging a taxi, minibus, or council transport, eligible families receive direct funds to cover costs such as:
TL;DR: There is no national rate; councils calculate payments individually based on local policy, mileage, and specific transport needs.
Because local authorities set their own formulas, you should not assume standard figures (like HMRC’s 45p per mile) apply. Before accepting a PTB offer, clarify:
Flexibility: What happens if your personal circumstances change and arranging transport becomes unworkable?
Calculation basis: Does the budget cover return journeys after dropping off your child?
Absences: How are funds adjusted for sickness, teacher training days, or unexpected school closures?
Scotland uses the term additional support needs (ASN).
The Scottish Government’s updated school transport guidance says local authorities should consider whether a child’s disability, healthcare needs or additional support needs affect their ability to walk or travel by bus.
Councils can also consider relevant evidence from families, education staff and healthcare professionals.
Families should apply through their own local authority.
In Wales, children may have additional learning needs (ALN) rather than SEND.
School transport operates under Welsh learner-travel legislation, and children’s disability, mobility and additional learning needs can be relevant when councils assess what transport arrangements are required.
Families in Wales can use the government’s school transport application service for children with SEND or mobility needs to find the relevant local authority route.
If your child has an Individual Development Plan (IDP), it is also worth discussing transport when considering whether their education placement can realistically meet their needs.
In Northern Ireland, the Education Authority may provide transport support for a pupil with a Statement of Special Educational Needs where:
The Education Authority’s current SEN transport guidance gives examples including restricted mobility, wheelchair use, severe learning difficulties and medical conditions that mean transport is needed for the child to attend school.
Northern Ireland also uses Parental Payments in some circumstances. The Education Authority explains that monthly payments are typically used for children with a special transport need attending specialist provision, with the amount reflecting the distance travelled and additional transport needs.
Usually, there will be a review or appeal route if school transport is refused or you believe the proposed arrangement cannot safely meet your child’s needs.
When challenging a decision, concentrate on why the suggested journey does not work for your child.
Evidence may cover:
Keep copies of your application, supporting evidence, decision letter and the council’s transport policy.
Yes, but what you can get depends heavily on where you live.
TL;DR: No universal national grant exists; support depends on local council hardship funds, academy trusts, and individual school policies.
The government’s school uniform guidance recommends contacting the headteacher if you cannot afford uniform or PE kit and says schools must take affordability seriously.
Schools should also make second-hand uniform available and explain on their website how parents can access it.
TL;DR: Schools in England must limit compulsory branded uniform items to three (or four in middle/secondary schools if one is a tie).
A significant change starts on 1 September 2026.
Schools in England must limit compulsory branded school uniform and PE items to:
The Department for Education’s updated statutory school uniform cost guidance also says uniform should be affordable and schools should permit generic alternatives where appropriate.
A branded item doesn’t necessarily have to carry a school logo. If the colour, cut, fabric or design means you realistically have to buy it from a particular supplier, it can still count as branded.
This should give families more scope to shop around for everyday uniform items instead of buying everything from one specialist supplier.
TL;DR: Eligible lower-income families receive £125 per pupil, rising to £200 for children entering Year 7.
The Welsh Government says the grant is open for eligible pupils from Reception to Year 11 and can help with uniform as well as classroom essentials such as pens and bags and clothing required for enrichment activities.
This is worth claiming before using discounts for any remaining costs.
TL;DR: Scotland sets a national minimum grant of £120 for primary pupils and £150 for secondary pupils.
Eligible low-income families in Scotland can apply through their council for help with school clothing.
Some councils may pay more.
Check your council’s School Clothing Grant criteria when preparing for the new term.
TL;DR: Grants provide £42.90 for primary pupils, £87.60 for secondary pupils under 15, and £93.60 for secondary pupils aged 15+.
For the 2026/27 school year, eligible families in Northern Ireland can receive the following funding towards school uniform and physical education (PE) clothing costs:
| School Level & Age Group | Uniform Allowance | PE Kit Allowance | Total Grant |
| Primary School | £42.90 | N/A | £42.90 |
| Post-Primary / Special School (Under 15) | £61.20 | £26.40 | £87.60 |
| Post-Primary / Special School (Aged 15+) | £67.20 | £26.40 | £93.60 |
There isn’t one fixed list because reasonable adjustments should respond to the individual child.
| Area | Possible adjustment |
|---|---|
| Uniform | Different fabrics, shoes, fastenings or adapted clothing |
| Mobility | Step-free routes, ramps, lifts or accessible classroom locations |
| Seating | Suitable chairs, adapted desks or positioning equipment |
| Sensory needs | Quiet spaces, sensory breaks or changes to lighting/noise |
| Communication | AAC, visual timetables, communication cards or extra processing time |
| Technology | Screen readers, adapted keyboards or speech-to-text |
| Learning | Modified materials or alternative ways to access activities |
| School day | Adjusted transitions, routines or break arrangements |
| Assessment | Appropriate access arrangements and reasonable adjustments |
Government guidance confirms that reasonable adjustments can include specialist equipment and additional support, not just physical adaptations such as ramps.
Potentially, yes.
In Great Britain, schools have duties under the Equality Act 2010 to make reasonable adjustments so disabled pupils are not placed at a substantial disadvantage.
The government’s education guidance for disabled children gives examples including changes to physical features, different assessment arrangements and providing specialist support or equipment.
For uniform, reasonable adjustments could include allowing:
A school should not automatically insist that exactly the same uniform rule applies to every child if that rule creates a disability-related disadvantage.
If alternative footwear is required and you are responsible for buying it, this is an area where a disability discount can make a meaningful difference.
Purpl currently offers 22% off full-price products at DB Wider Fit Shoes, which specialises in wider-fitting footwear. There is also an exclusive 10% Cosyfeet discount, while Purpl members can currently save 10% online and in store at Dr. Martens and 10% online and in-store at Schuh.
For children and young people who struggle with standard footwear because of width, swelling, orthotics, dexterity or sensory issues, having more choice can be particularly important.
Purpl Tip: Ask the school to approve alternative footwear before purchasing an expensive pair. If the alternative is directly required because of your child’s disability, also ask whether any support towards the cost is available.
Yes, where the item is something the family needs to purchase themselves.
For example, Purpl currently has an exclusive 10% discount at Stickman Communications, which produces communication cards and other tools designed to help people communicate their needs and explain disability-related situations.
Products like communication cards will not replace formal AAC provision where that is required, but they may be useful alongside a child’s existing strategies.
The same principle applies to sensory tools: first check whether the school or health service should provide what your child needs. Use discounts for additional items or products that sit outside statutory provision.
Sometimes.
If a disabled child needs an auxiliary aid, piece of technology or other support to access education, the school has a duty to consider whether providing it is a reasonable adjustment.
That might include:
Government guidance specifically lists providing extra support and specialist equipment as examples of reasonable adjustments.
A laptop that is generally useful for schoolwork is different from a laptop or device that a child requires because of their disability.
Before buying anything privately, ask:
“Who is responsible for providing this equipment so my child can access their education?”
If the school or council is not responsible for providing the device, there are several routes worth checking before paying full price.
Family Fund currently provides grants for computers, laptops, iPads and tablets for eligible disabled or seriously ill children through its technology partner. Its current technology guidance was reviewed in August 2026.
For equipment you do need to purchase yourself, current Purpl technology offers include:
Refurbished technology can be particularly worth considering for a school device if your child doesn’t require specialist specifications.
Purpl Tip: If your child has been awarded a technology grant, check the grant conditions before buying through Purpl. Some charities require you to use a nominated supplier, so buying independently could mean you cannot use the grant.
Stationery costs aren’t usually disability-specific, but they still add to the overall back-to-school bill.
Purpl members can currently get up to 7% off orders at Staples UK, which stocks school and office stationery, and Staples also has separate offers of up to 15% off office furniture.
That can be useful for notebooks, pens, folders, printer supplies and other items you still need after checking what the school supplies.
A disabled or neurodivergent child may benefit from a more structured or comfortable place to complete homework, particularly if they need reduced distractions, supportive seating or organised storage.
Purpl members currently receive 5% off Dunelm online and in store. Dunelm sells desks, chairs, lighting, blackout curtains, storage, bedding and other home products that may help families create a more suitable home-learning environment.
Purpl also currently lists up to 15% off furniture at Aosom
These are not substitutes for specialist equipment that a statutory service should provide, but they can help with ordinary furniture and organisational costs families choose to buy themselves.
If statutory services will not provide what your child needs, charitable funding may be another option.
Family Fund supports eligible low-income families raising disabled or seriously ill children.
Its current grant categories include:
Its technology grants can provide computers, laptops, iPads and tablets through an approved supplier.
Individual programmes and availability can vary across the UK, so always check the current scheme for your nation before applying.
Newlife’s Equipment Grants and Loans service provides funding towards specialist equipment for disabled children and young people.
Its current scheme can consider grants of up to £10,000, including equipment such as:
The child must generally be under 19 and have a disability or health condition, and an appropriate health or social care professional must support the application.
Newlife’s eligibility criteria changed in 2026, so read the current requirements before applying rather than relying on older advice online.
Depending on your child’s needs, you can also investigate specialist charities such as the Boparan Charitable Trust and other condition-specific or equipment charities.
Funding criteria change frequently, so always check:
Purpl Tip: Never buy something in advance because you assume a charity will reimburse you. Many grant programmes will not fund something that has already been purchased.
Yes, where the request fits the Fund’s disability-related criteria.
The Purpl Community Grant Fund allows subscribed Purpl members to request up to £2,000 towards eligible needs including:
Parents and carers can apply on behalf of an immediate family member with a disability or long term health condition.
To apply, you must:
The maximum request is £2,000, but that does not mean every successful applicant receives £2,000. Awards depend on need, impact and the funding available for that quarter.
Applications are capped each round, so the Fund can close before the end of the advertised application period when capacity is reached.
Don’t simply write:
“My child needs an iPad.”
Explain the difference it would make.
For example:
“My child is non-speaking and uses communication software. Having access to this device at home would allow them to use the same communication system they use at school and communicate more independently with family.”
Purpl Tip: Focus on need + barrier + impact. What does your child struggle to do now, and how would this item make daily life, education, communication or independence easier?
Here are some of the most relevant offers available to members at the time this guide was reviewed.
| Back-to-school cost | Current Purpl offer |
|---|---|
| Wider-fit footwear | DB Wider Fit Shoes – 22% off full price |
| Comfort footwear | Cosyfeet – 10% off |
| Everyday footwear | Schuh – 10% off online and in-store |
| Boots/shoes | Dr. Martens – 10% online and in store |
| School technology | Acer – 15% off |
| School technology | Dell – 4% off |
| Refurbished technology | Stone Refurb – up to 30% off / 10% off full price |
| Refurbished technology | Back Market – £10 off £250 |
| Stationery | Staples UK – up to 7% off |
| Desk/office furniture | Aosom – up to 15% off |
| Home study/storage | Dunelm – 5% online and in store |
| Communication tools | Stickman Communications – 10% off |
| Socks | SockShop – 16% sitewide |
Current offer pages confirm these savings, but discounts and exclusions can change, so members should always check the live offer before buying.
Back-to-school spending isn’t only uniform and stationery.
The return to school can also mean:
Eligible Purpl members currently receive 10% off Morrisons online grocery orders of £25 or more.
The Morrisons offer can be used for eligible home-delivery and Click & Collect grocery orders and can be used repeatedly while the offer remains active and its terms are met.
This isn’t a school grant, of course, but saving on unavoidable weekly spending can free up money for the additional costs that grants don’t cover.
Use this order.
Ask whether the item should be provided through SEND, ALN, ASN or other school funding.
Look at their:
Depending on what your child needs, this might be:
Check the council’s SEND Local Offer or equivalent and ask whether there is an equipment, transport or education funding route.
Look at Family Fund, Newlife, the Purpl Community Grant Fund and other relevant charities.
Some grants specify exactly where you must buy the item.
If you’re responsible for paying, check whether a relevant Purpl offer can reduce the cost.
This sequence matters.
Entitlement first. Grants second. Discounts third.
Before the new school year, consider whether your child needs:
Don’t assume that arrangements from the previous year will automatically follow your child into a new classroom or school.
Yes, in England a child with SEND, a disability or mobility difficulty can qualify for free school transport even when they live within the normal two-mile or three-mile walking distance if they attend their nearest suitable school and cannot walk there because of their needs. Different rules and assessment processes apply elsewhere in the UK.
No. An EHCP is not automatically required for a child in England to qualify for disability-related school transport, and having an EHCP does not itself guarantee transport. Eligibility depends on the school transport criteria and the child’s individual circumstances.
Yes, some authorities offer Personal Travel Budgets, mileage arrangements or parental payments instead of arranging transport directly. There is no universal UK payment rate, and families should check how their authority calculates the payment before accepting it.
A school should consider a reasonable adjustment where standard school footwear places a disabled pupil at a substantial disadvantage. Depending on the child’s needs, allowing orthotic, adaptive, sensory-friendly or wider-fit shoes may be an appropriate adjustment.
Yes. If an autistic or otherwise disabled pupil experiences a substantial disadvantage because of standard uniform requirements, the school should consider reasonable adjustments. These could include different fabrics, alternative fastenings, adapted clothing or alternative footwear.
From 1 September 2026, schools in England must limit compulsory branded uniform and PE items to three. Middle and secondary schools can require four where one of those four items is a tie.
Eligible families in Wales can receive £125 per learner through the 2026/27 School Essentials Grant, rising to £200 for pupils entering Year 7. It can help towards uniform and other school essentials.
Eligible primary pupils in Northern Ireland can receive £42.90. Eligible secondary and special-school pupils receive £61.20 towards uniform if under 15 or £67.20 if aged 15 or over, plus a £26.40 PE allowance.
Depending on the child’s circumstances, families can investigate Family Fund, Newlife, the Purpl Community Grant Fund and specialist charities. Families should first check whether the school, NHS or local authority has responsibility for supplying the equipment.
The Purpl Community Grant Fund can consider eligible applications connected to assistive technology, education and independence support and other disability-related needs. Subscribed members can request up to £2,000, although actual awards depend on need, impact and available funding.
Yes. Current Purpl footwear offers include 22% off full-price DB Wider Fit Shoes, 10% off Cosyfeet, 10% off online and in-store Schuh and 10% online and in store at Dr. Martens. Offers and terms can change, so members should check the live Purpl offer before purchasing.
Purpl currently has technology offers including 15% off Acer, 4% off Dell, up to 30% off Stone Refurb and £10 off Back Market orders over £250. Parents should first check whether a laptop or assistive device should be provided through school, the local authority or a grant before buying one privately.
As a disabled parent and the founder of Purpl, one of the things that frustrates me most is how difficult it can be to work out what support is actually available.
There often isn’t one person who sits you down and says:
“This is what your child is entitled to, this is who should provide it, and this is where you can get help with everything else.”
Instead, school transport sits with one team. Equipment may sit with education, the NHS or social care. Uniform support depends on where you live. Then another charity may be able to help with something none of those services will fund.
Parents are expected to piece all of this together while also parenting a child who may already need considerably more support.
That’s why my biggest piece of advice is:
Don’t assume you have to pay for something just because your child needs it.
Before you buy anything specialist, ask who has responsibility for providing it.
Once you know you genuinely need to fund something yourself, then look at grants and discounts.
That’s also why Purpl has evolved beyond simply offering disability discounts. Through the Purpl Community Grant Fund, our practical guides and the discounts we negotiate with brands, we’re trying to attack the disability price tag from several different directions.
And every time members shop through Purpl correctly, that usage also helps demonstrate to brands that supporting the disabled community matters and helps Purpl grow the support we can provide.
Georgina
Founder of Purpl
Back-to-school support for a disabled child rarely comes from one place.
Transport might be the council’s responsibility. Technology might need to come through school. A wheelchair or specialist seat might involve health services. Uniform support differs across the UK, and a charity might fund something none of those services cover.
So before getting the bank card out, ask:
Is somebody else responsible for providing this?
Then:
Is there a grant that could pay for it?
And only after that:
Can I get a discount on what I still need to buy?
That order could save considerably more than searching for discount codes alone – and it helps make sure disabled children get the support they are actually entitled to.
Georgina is the Founder of Purpl, a disabled-led UK discount and support platform created to help disabled people, people with long term health conditions, carers and parents of disabled children reduce the extra cost of disability.
Living with Multiple Sclerosis herself, Georgina understands how quickly household costs rise when you need more heating, more planning, more support and more accessible services. Through Purpl, she creates practical guides and verified discounts to help disabled households save money and feel less alone.