The Extra Costs Commission has published its final report, having spent the last year exploring the extra costs faced by disabled people and their families.

The Commission has considered evidence about the problem of extra costs and identified solutions for driving down these costs.

There are 16 recommendations for driving down extra costs that are targeted at four groups:

• Disabled people and their families
• Businesses
• Disability organisations
• Regulators and government

A number of organisations have committed to taking forward several of the Commission’s recommendations. The Commission will reconvene in June 2016 to review progress made against its recommendations.

Summary of the 16 recommendations:

1. Disabled people should be more confident about saying that they are disabled so that businesses can see how many of their customers are disabled.
2. Disabled people should share information about good deals and ways to reduce costs with other disabled people.
3. Disabled people should speak out when companies or disability organisations do not fully meet their needs.
4. Disability organisations should give better consumer information and make new ways for disabled people to share consumer information
5. Disability organisations should set up schemes so that disabled people can get things cheaper.
6. Disability organisations should set up ways that  disabled people can get
   cheaper energy and insurance.
7. Disability organisations should work to give disabled people a stronger voice when it comes to the price of things that disabled people need.
8. Disability organisations should help businesses to understand what disabled people want.
9. Businesses should learn more about the needs of disabled people.
10. Businesses should make their websites better for disabled people.
11. Insurance companies should make it easier for disabled people to get
    cheaper insurance.
12. The organisations that speak up for businesses should encourage their
    companies want to reduce extra costs for disabled people.
13. Regulators should look at the problems that disabled people have when they are buying things.
14. The Government should look at whether disabled people are able to get the insurance they need.
15. The Government should look at whether the internet is properly accessible to disabled people.
16. The Government should make sure that disabled people get an equal and affordable service from taxis.