Carer Discounts & Money-Saving Support
Discount cards, free companion tickets and local offers that can bring the cost of days out and everyday essentials down, for unpaid carers, families and disabled people.
Please read this first
Discounts, prices and eligibility vary, and they can change at any time. Every scheme on this page is run by the organisation named — none of them are run by, or connected to, SENDBridge, and we cannot apply for them on your behalf. Always check the official website before you apply, book or travel.
Halloween on a budget
Half-term spending, kept small. Every offer below was checked on the retailer's own page on the date shown and says when it ends, or says that the retailer has not confirmed an end date — so nothing here should send you to a shop for a bargain that finished last week. This section clears itself after 31 October 2026.
No supermarket offers have been checked for this week yet. The free ideas below need nothing bought, and the shops' own Halloween pages are linked from their websites.
Free and nearly free
A costume made from a box
A large cardboard box, a roll of foil and a glue stick makes a robot, a rocket or a washing machine. Supermarkets often give boxes away if you ask at the checkout.
Bin-bag cape and paper mask
A black bin liner, a strip of card and a length of elastic. Nothing to buy, and it packs away flat afterwards.
One pumpkin, carved together
Draw the face on first, then cut it with an adult. Toast the seeds with a little salt for a free snack.
Decorations from the recycling
Bunting from old newspaper, paper-plate spiders, cotton-wool ghosts. A free afternoon that leaves the house decorated.
Free half-term sessions
Libraries, community centres and children's centres usually run free craft sessions in half-term. Check their own pages, or ask in Community Corner.
A torchlit walk of your own street
Walking round your own neighbourhood in the dark with torches, then hot chocolate at home, is usually the bit children remember most.
Supermarket prices vary by store, some offers are only on the app or with a loyalty card, and stock is never guaranteed. Check the retailer's own page before you travel. SENDBridge is not paid by any retailer and cannot arrange a price for you.
Turn2us — check what you could be entitled to
Turn2us is a national charity that helps people find the money they are entitled to. Everything it offers is free, there is nothing to sign up to, and you can use one tool without the others.
Free, and run by Turn2us — a national charity, not part of SENDBridge. Using a tool does not apply for anything: it shows you what may be worth claiming, and you decide what to do next. turn2us.org.uk
Discounts for carers
Discounts for Carers
- What it offers
- Free access to discounts from more than 2,000 brands — supermarkets, fashion, days out, eating out, travel and tech — plus cashback and discounted gift cards. You show your Digital ID at the till or use a code online.
- Who can use it
- Anyone who helps care for someone. That includes unpaid carers, paid care staff, foster carers, volunteers, self-employed carers and retired carers.
- Cost
- Free to join and free to use.
- How to apply
- Sign up on the website or the app and verify your account, then use the offers straight away.
Carers Card UK
- What it offers
- A National Carers ID card, hundreds of online and in-store discounts, free carer tickets at more than 500 UK venues through their Access Pass, up to 25% off at 4,000+ gyms and leisure centres, a wellbeing hub and 24/7 text support.
- Who can use it
- Anyone in the UK who provides care — for a partner, child, parent, relative, friend or neighbour, whether or not you receive Carer's Allowance. Young carers can have one too: over 16s can order their own card, and for under 16s someone over 16 orders it for them. Paid and professional carers also qualify.
- Cost
- £10 for two years.
- How to apply
- Apply online, upload a photo, and your card is posted to you. Proof documents are needed to unlock the free carer tickets.
Carers UK — free membership
- What it offers
- Free membership of the national carers charity, including exclusive member discounts and giveaways, plus information and support on benefits, your rights and taking a break.
- Who can use it
- Anyone who is an unpaid carer.
- Cost
- Free.
- How to apply
- Join as a member on the Carers UK website.
Days out & entertainment
Max Card
- What it offers
- A discount card giving free or discounted admission at more than 1,500 UK attractions — castles, zoos, soft play, bowling, trampoline parks, museums and more.
- Who can use it
- Families of children and young people with SEND, looked-after and fostered children, and young carers.
- Cost
- Usually free, or a small charge through your local distributor. It varies by area.
- How to apply
- Max Cards are given out locally by councils, charities and approved organisations rather than sold centrally. Use the 'find your local distributor' tool on the Max Card website to see how to get one where you live.
CEA Card — cinema
- What it offers
- One free ticket for a companion at the cinema when you buy a full-price ticket for yourself for the same film and showing. Around 90% of UK cinemas accept the card.
- Who can use it
- Anyone aged 5 or over who needs to be accompanied at the cinema because of the effect of their disability. This can include sight or hearing loss, limited mobility, or being neurodivergent.
- Cost
- £6.50, valid for one year.
- How to apply
- Apply online or by post with a photo and proof of eligibility — a DLA, Attendance Allowance, PIP, ADP or similar letter, or sight impairment registration. If you do not have that paperwork you can still apply, and your case is looked at individually.
Access Card
- What it offers
- A photo ID card that sets out your access requirements as symbols, so venues can see what you need without you having to explain it. It is accepted at thousands of venues and on some online ticketing systems, and their app lists venues.
- Who can use it
- Anyone with a disability, impairment or health condition who needs access adjustments.
- Cost
- £15 for three years.
- How to apply
- Apply online and upload your photo and evidence.
The Access Card is already listed in the SEND Directory. See the directory listing
accesscard.online — apply or renewFree companion and carer tickets
- What it offers
- Many attractions, theatres, cinemas and leisure centres give a free or reduced-price ticket to the carer or companion of a disabled visitor. It is not one national scheme — every venue sets its own rule, and some reduce the disabled visitor's own ticket instead of letting the carer in free.
- Who can use it
- Usually the person who is needed to help a disabled visitor during the visit.
- Cost
- Varies. Often free, sometimes a concessionary rate instead. Always check before you book.
- How to apply
- Look on the venue's accessibility page, or call them, and look for an 'access companion' or 'essential carer' ticket option when booking. Proof is nearly always needed — a DLA, PIP or Blue Badge, an Access Card, or a letter.
Local Milton Keynes offers
Bletchley Park
- What it offers
- Carers and access companions of disabled visitors get in free of charge. The normal ticket price applies to the disabled visitor.
- Who can use it
- Anyone visiting as the carer or access companion of a disabled visitor.
- Cost
- Free for the carer. The disabled visitor pays the normal price.
- How to apply
- Book online and choose the 'Access companion' ticket option, and take proof of your caring role with you.
Gulliver's Land, Milton Keynes
- What it offers
- A concessionary ticket rate for disabled guests, with one essential carer of the qualifying person also charged at the concessionary rate — there is no free carer ticket. Guests who cannot queue can also reserve a Ride Access Pass, which lets them and up to three helpers use the ride exit.
- Who can use it
- Guests with a Blue Badge, a DLA or PIP letter (with photo ID), or an Access Card showing the level access or +1/+2 symbol. Ride Access Passes need evidence of a diagnosis or its impact, or an Access Card with the 'standing and queuing' or 'crowds' symbol.
- Cost
- No extra cost — it is a reduced ticket price. Ride Access Passes must be reserved online in advance and numbers are limited each day.
- How to apply
- Choose the concessionary rate when booking and bring the documents for each qualifying person. Reserve a Ride Access Pass separately, online, before you go. Max Card, MOD, Blue Light and NHS cards unlock their Lifesaver rate.
Bletchley Leisure Centre
- What it offers
- Free access for carers supporting a child or adult with disabilities — gym, swimming, fitness classes and sports hall activities. Disabled visitors get concessionary prices and memberships, and carers can get concessionary rates for their own visits too.
- Who can use it
- Carers who can show evidence they are an official carer, such as a local authority letter or a carer card issued by the local authority. This includes young carers aged 9 to 17. A maximum of two carers go free per disabled visitor, and a DLA letter must state that two carers are needed.
- Cost
- Free for the carer. Concessionary prices apply to disabled visitors.
- How to apply
- Take your proof of being a carer to reception, or contact the centre in advance about pricing.
Free swimming in West Bletchley
- What it offers
- Free swimming at Bletchley Leisure Centre, funded by West Bletchley Council for residents of the parish.
- Who can use it
- West Bletchley parish residents who are registered disabled, aged 15 or under, 16 to 18 and in full-time education, 60 or over, or registered unemployed.
- Cost
- Free, with a £3 annual admin fee. Proof of address, age and entitlement is required.
- How to apply
- Register at Bletchley Leisure Centre and bring your documents — the council's page lists exactly what they accept.
Swimming and sport for disabled people in MK
- What it offers
- MKCIL lists accessible sport and swimming sessions across Milton Keynes, including sessions where a helper or carer accompanying a disabled person goes free of charge.
- Who can use it
- Disabled children and adults, and the carers or helpers supporting them.
- Cost
- There is usually an annual membership fee and a small charge per session. Helpers and carers go free.
- How to apply
- See MKCIL's accessible sport page for the current sessions and who to contact.
Winter energy bills & financial support
Heating help is decided by four different sets of rules, so each scheme below says where it applies before it says what you might get. Start with the Priority Services Register: it is free, it takes one phone call, and it does not affect any other help you receive.
Priority Services Register
Free extra help from your energy supplier if anyone in the house needs it — but it does not reduce your bills.
- England — Applies
- Scotland — Applies
- Wales — Applies
- Northern Ireland — Applies
Green means the scheme applies, amber means a different scheme runs there instead, grey means it is not available.
- What it is
- A free register kept by electricity and gas suppliers, and by the network operators who run the wires and pipes. It is used to look after you when something goes wrong.
- Who it is for
- Households where someone is disabled or has a medical condition, is of State Pension age, has a child under 5, or otherwise needs extra help with their energy. The supplier decides, so it is always worth asking.
- What you get
- Advance warning of planned power cuts, priority help during a cut, your meter read for you, bills in larger print or sent to someone who helps you check them, and a safe way to get help if you cannot reach or top up your meter.
- What it does not do
- It does not lower your bill and it does not pay you anything. It is extra help and priority, not money — so use it alongside the schemes below rather than instead of them.
Northern Ireland
Register with your electricity supplier and your gas supplier, and with NIE Networks so a power cut is handled with your household's needs in mind.
Warm Home Discount
£150 off your electricity bill if you get certain means-tested benefits. It is a credit on the bill, not cash.
- England — Applies
- Scotland — Applies
- Wales — Applies
- Northern Ireland — Not available
Green means the scheme applies, amber means a different scheme runs there instead, grey means it is not available.
- What it is worth
- A one-off £150 discount on your electricity bill, applied by your supplier. You are not paid the money, and it does not affect your Cold Weather Payment or Winter Fuel Payment.
- Qualifying date for 2026 to 2027
- You must have met every rule on 23 August 2026, including having your name (or your partner's) on the electricity bill and buying your electricity from a supplier in the scheme.
- Qualifying benefits in England and Wales
- Universal Credit, Housing Benefit, income-related Employment and Support Allowance, or Pension Credit — you or your partner.
- Key dates
- Letters go out between late October 2026 and early January 2027. If your letter asks you to confirm details, call the helpline by 26 February 2027. The discount is applied to the bill by 31 March 2027.
Scotland
Some households get it automatically, for example on Pension Credit, or on Universal Credit with the disability element. Everyone else has to apply to their own supplier through the 'broader group', the number of discounts is limited, and you must stay with that supplier until it is paid.
Northern Ireland
The Warm Home Discount does not run here. The nearest equivalent is the Affordable Warmth Scheme, run through the Northern Ireland Housing Executive.
Cold Weather Payment
£25 for each 7 days of very cold weather, paid automatically — but it does not run in Scotland.
- England — Applies
- Scotland — Different scheme
- Wales — Applies
- Northern Ireland — Applies
Green means the scheme applies, amber means a different scheme runs there instead, grey means it is not available.
- What it is worth
- £25 for each 7-day period when the average temperature in your area is 0°C or below, or is forecast to be, between 1 November 2026 and 31 March 2027.
- Who qualifies
- Households getting certain benefits, including Universal Credit, Income Support, income-based Jobseeker's Allowance, income-related Employment and Support Allowance, Pension Credit, and Support for Mortgage Interest. Some of these have extra rules, and having a baby or a child under 5 move in can change how a Universal Credit household qualifies.
- How you get it
- You do not apply. It is paid automatically after each cold spell, and it does not affect your other benefits or reduce them.
- Checking your area
- Use the government postcode checker for England and Wales, or the separate Northern Ireland checker, to see whether a cold spell has triggered a payment where you live.
Scotland
Cold Weather Payments are not available in Scotland. Instead you get a single Winter Heating Payment of £62.00, paid automatically from December whether or not it is cold, and shown as 'WHP' in your bank account.
Winter Fuel Payment
A yearly payment for people of State Pension age. It is not a general payment for low-income families.
- England — Applies
- Scotland — Different scheme
- Wales — Applies
- Northern Ireland — Applies
Green means the scheme applies, amber means a different scheme runs there instead, grey means it is not available.
- Who qualifies
- You can get it if you were born on or before 27 June 1960 and usually live in England, Wales or Northern Ireland. It is based on your age, not on your income or on having a disabled child.
- Key dates
- You must have been living in one of those nations during the qualifying week, 21 to 27 September 2026. Most payments are made automatically in November or December 2026.
- How it is paid
- Usually paid automatically, into the same account as your State Pension or benefits, so most people do not need to claim. There are exceptions, including some people living in a care home.
- If your income is over £35,000
- HMRC takes the payment back. Only your own income counts towards the £35,000, not your partner's.
This is the one that is most often mistaken for help for families. It depends on age, so most families with disabled children will not qualify — the benefits and grants further up this page are the ones to check instead.
Scotland
Winter Fuel Payment has been replaced in Scotland by Pension Age Winter Heating Payment, paid by Social Security Scotland. It is between £105.55 and £316.70 a year, most people get it automatically, letters are sent from November 2026, and income over £35,000 is taken back.
Emergency energy support
When the bill has already gone wrong: supplier hardship funds, fuel vouchers, council help and free debt advice.
- England — Applies
- Scotland — Applies
- Wales — Applies
- Northern Ireland — Applies
Green means the scheme applies, amber means a different scheme runs there instead, grey means it is not available.
- Supplier hardship funds
- Every large supplier has extra help for customers in difficulty — an affordable payment plan, a pause on debt collection, or a grant. Ask them for their hardship fund in those words. Help offered through the Warm Home Discount's industry initiatives is open even if you are not their customer.
- Fuel vouchers
- Fuel Bank Foundation gives prepayment meter vouchers worth roughly two weeks of energy. They are issued through food banks, councils and other local partners, so ask at a partner near you rather than contacting the Foundation directly.
- Help clearing energy debt
- British Gas Energy Trust gives grants to clear gas and electricity debt, and is open to customers of other suppliers as well as British Gas. If the debt is wider than energy, StepChange gives free debt advice.
- Council help with essentials
- Councils hold crisis money for food, heating and essentials. In England it is the Crisis and Resilience Fund, in Scotland the Scottish Welfare Fund, in Wales the Discretionary Assistance Fund, and in Northern Ireland Discretionary Support. None of them is paid back.
Rules and amounts for 2026 to 2027 change, and eligibility is always decided by the government or your supplier — never by SENDBridge. Everything here was checked against GOV.UK, Ofgem, mygov.scot or the devolved government's own page on 27 October 2026. If your circumstances do not match a scheme exactly, ask Citizens Advice before you rule yourself out.
Benefits, grants and financial help
Organisations here are free to use, and none of them are run by SENDBridge. They can tell you what you may be entitled to and help you apply. Only the government department or the council decides whether you qualify, so nobody can promise you a payment or a grant.
Citizens Advice
- What it offers
- Free, confidential advice on benefits, debt, housing, energy and what to do when money has run out, including help with a benefit decision you think is wrong.
- Who it is for
- Anyone in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. In Scotland the same service is Citizens Advice Scotland.
- What it costs
- Free.
MoneyHelper
- What it offers
- Free, impartial guidance from the government-backed Money and Pensions Service, on benefits, budgeting, bills, borrowing and pensions. No products are sold to you.
- Who it is for
- Anyone in the UK.
- What it costs
- Free.
StepChange
- What it offers
- Free debt advice, and a debt management plan if one would help. Worth talking to before energy, council tax or credit debts build up.
- Who it is for
- Anyone in the UK with debt they are worried about.
- What it costs
- Free.
Council crisis money
- What it offers
- Councils hold grants for food, heating and essential costs when money has run out, and sometimes for white goods or a rent shortfall. Each council runs its own version, so the rules where you live are the ones that count.
- Who it is for
- Households in immediate financial hardship. In England this is the Crisis and Resilience Fund.
- What it costs
- A grant — it is not paid back.
Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland each have their own fund instead. They are listed under Winter Energy Bills & Financial Support above.
Council Tax Reduction
- What it offers
- A reduction on your council tax bill, of up to 100%, for households on a low income. Each council sets its own rules.
- Who it is for
- Anyone on a low income or claiming benefits — whether you rent or own your home. In Northern Ireland it is help with rates instead.
- What it costs
- Free to apply.
Universal Credit
- What it offers
- The main working-age benefit. It can include extra amounts for a disabled child, for caring responsibilities, for housing and for childcare — but each one has to be asked for, so it is worth checking.
- Who it is for
- Families on a low income, whether in work or not.
- What it costs
- Free to claim.
Disability benefits for children
- What it offers
- Disability Living Allowance is the benefit for a child with a disability or health condition that means they need more help than other children of the same age. It is not means-tested, and claiming it can open the door to other help.
- Who it is for
- Children under 16 who need substantially more care or supervision, or have difficulty walking.
- What it costs
- Free to claim.
Free school meals
- What it offers
- Free meals at school. In England, from the 2026 to 2027 school year, a child qualifies if you get Universal Credit, whatever your household income. Apply through your council, not the school.
- Who it is for
- Families getting Universal Credit or certain other benefits. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland each run their own scheme.
- What it costs
- Free.
Help with school uniform costs
- What it offers
- There is no UK-wide uniform grant. In practice the help is local: many schools hold spare uniform or run a second-hand sale, and some councils help with school costs.
- Who it is for
- Families struggling with the cost of uniform, PE kit or school trips.
- What it costs
- Usually free.
MK Storehouse in Local Help & Giving Back holds free school-age clothing and runs a free uniform event each summer.
Checked against each organisation's own website, or the official government page, on 27 October 2026.
More ways to save in Milton Keynes
Milton Keynes City Council offers an annual payment of £240 to unpaid carers who are 18 or over, are caring for an adult, and have had a Carers Conversation. You can also check what benefits you may be entitled to, including Carer's Allowance, on GOV.UK.
Checked against official sources
Every scheme on this page comes from the organisation's own website, or from the council or venue that runs it. It was last checked on 16 October 2026. Prices and rules do change, so please confirm on the official site before you rely on them.