Disabled Persons Railcard: £20 for a third off — for you and a companion
The Disabled Persons Railcard is both the cheapest railcard and one of the most generous: it discounts a companion's ticket too, and it carries no time-of-day restrictions at all.
The numbers
| Cost | £20 for 1 year, or £54 for 3 years |
| Discount | 1/3 off for the cardholder and one adult companion |
| Restrictions | None — valid any time, any day |
| Break-even | About £60 of fares in a year |
Why it's the strongest-value card
Three things stack up:
- It costs £20, not £35 — the lowest break-even of any card
- It discounts two tickets when you travel with a companion
- There is no minimum fare and no morning restriction, so weekday commuting keeps the full discount, unlike almost every other card
Travelling with a companion, you effectively need only about £30 of fares each across a whole year to break even.
Who's eligible
You qualify if you, for example:
- receive Personal Independence Payment (PIP), Attendance Allowance or Disability Living Allowance
- are registered as having a visual impairment or are deaf or use a hearing aid
- have epilepsy and are receiving anti-convulsant medication
- receive a War Pensioner's Mobility Supplement or Severe Disablement Allowance
- buy or lease a vehicle through the Motability scheme
The official site lists the full criteria and the evidence needed — you send proof once when you apply.
Pros
- Cheapest card, lowest break-even
- Companion discount included at no extra cost
- No time restrictions whatsoever
- Three-year option at £54
Cons
- Application requires documentary evidence, so it isn't instant
- The companion must travel with you — they can't use it alone
- Not valid on season tickets
Also worth knowing
Assisted travel (help boarding, ramps, meeting you at the platform) is free and separate from the Railcard — book it in advance with the operator, or check your train's live platform and delay on our live map before you set off.
How to use it
Buy online (digital cards arrive in minutes and live in the Railcard app or your phone's wallet), add the card to your account on whichever ticket site you use, and the discount is applied automatically at checkout. Staff and barrier scanners check the card against the ticket, so carry the card — or your phone — whenever you travel on a discounted ticket.
Stack it with cheaper tickets
A Railcard discount applies on top of the fare you'd otherwise pay, so it combines with everything else that saves money:
- Advance tickets — book early for a specific train, then take the third off
- Off-peak travel — a cheaper base fare means the Railcard saves less in cash terms, but the total is still the lowest
- Split ticketing — the discount applies to each ticket in a split combination
Check your train before you travel
Once you've booked, you can watch your train run in real time on our live UK rail map — live position, platform, delay and the full stop-by-stop timetable for every service.
Prices and conditions were correct when this guide was written and can change — always confirm on the official Railcard site before buying.