MILLIONS of consumers with a mental or physical disability feel excluded from products due to accessibility issues from food packaging to clothing design and store layouts.

A poll of 1,000 adults with invisible and visible disabilities revealed over two-thirds (68%) have felt ignored by retailers and manufacturers.

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And 55% believe mainstream brands simply aren’t interested in making products that cater to their individual needs.

With some of the top issues being food packaging, which is hard to open, clothes which have poor sizing or awkward fastenings and stores with high shelves and poor lighting.

As a result, 76% are loyal to companies who offer a good range of accessible option.

While 80% claim brands could be missing out on millions of pounds worth of sales by not considering disabled consumers.

The spending power of disabled people and their households, known as the purple pound, is estimated to be worth a staggering £274 billion a year.

It also emerged that while 32% don’t expect to see a change from those in the fashion or transport sectors anytime soon – technology has made pace.

With the top tech innovations for people with a disability named as virtual assistants, smart home devices and wearable devices for health monitoring.

Katharina Mayer, head of LifeStyle Lab Europe at Samsung, which commissioned the research, said: “This research has highlighted the huge opportunity for brands to better understand the accessibility needs of consumers to provide greater access for people with disabilities in the UK.

“Companies are rarely able to test their ideas with diverse people with different needs, but this is a must”.

It also emerged 72% of those surveyed have had to abandon a purchase due to a product’s lack of accessibility.

But 56% would be willing to pay more for a product or service that fully met their accessibility needs.

When it comes to online shopping, 80% struggle with websites that are not optimised for accessibility.

While 30% battle through a poorly designed checkout process, and 22% bemoan a lack of text descriptions for images.

Samsung’s spokesperson added: “It’s time to re-write this narrative.

“When designers consider varied needs from the beginning, they don’t just serve people with disabilities – they create solutions that benefit everyone and that is the approach we take to inclusive design at Samsung.”

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MILLIONS more drivers could be owed compensation in a car finance mis-selling scandal after a landmark legal case.

Lenders are set to be given more time to look at complaints after a court decision opened the floodgates to more claims.

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The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) launched an investigation at the start of the year into whether motorists were unknowingly overcharged when they took out a loan to buy a car.

This focused on Discretionary Commission Arrangements (DCAs) which gave dealerships an incentive to push customers towards pricier financing deals.

Those who bought a car, motorbike or van on finance before January 28, 2021 (when DCA was banned) could be owed thousands of pounds.

Now the regulator has set out plans today to extend the deadline by which lenders have to respond to complaints.

It follows a Court of Appeal ruling last month that a broker could not lawfully receive a commission from the lender without obtaining the customer’s fully informed consent to the payment.

The decision applies to more types of commission and not just DCA, meaning more drivers could be owed cash.

The FCA said firms are likely to receive a “high volume” of complaints following the judgment and that an extension is needed to deal with claims.

Close Brothers and Firstrand, the subject of the case, intend to appeal the Court of Appeal’s decision.

The watchdog also said it will write to the Supreme Court asking it to decide quickly whether it will permit lenders to appeal.

In a statement published this morning, the FCA said: “Any complaint extension would allow them time to consider how these might be efficiently and effectively handled.

“This would help prevent disorderly, inconsistent and inefficient outcomes for consumers making complaints, motor finance firms and the market.”

Proposals are expected to be published in two weeks, which would mean the complaint extension is in place by mid-December.

Following the news today Money Saving Expert Martin Lewis has weighed in on what it means for drivers.

Writing on X, formerly known as Twitter, he said: “It signals that the FCA is paving the ground to in future broaden the scope of its car finance investigation, so not only at the 40% of past claims that had DCAs (where dealers could increase their commission by increasing interest) but all commissions including fixed commissions.”

Martin also said that it essentially means that “almost everyone” who has had car finance deals may have a complaint and be due money back.

He explained: “This potentially more than doubles the number of people involved, and would really start to look more like PPI scale of payouts (and a substantial threat to the car finance industry).”

The Payment Protection Insurance (PPI) scandal saw 16.5million people handed payouts totalling £38.3billion after banks and other financial institutions mis-sold PPI policies to millions of customers between 1990 and 2010.

The FCA has been unable to confirm how many people will now be possibly owed cash.

Alex Neill, co-founder of consumer rights group Consumer Voice said: “The financial regulator has signalled it will allow motor finance providers more time to consider how to deal with complaints about all secret commissions, not just those that are discretionary.

“This is big news for consumers as it could mean significantly more money is owed to more people.”

“Anyone who has already been told by their finance provider they didn’t have a discretionary commission on their loan should now be asking if any commission at all was applied. If it was, they may be owed compensation.”

Delayed investigation outcome

The FCA had planned to publish the outcome of its investigation in September.

However the publishing date has been pushed back to May next year and the date firms have to respond to customer complaints to December 4, 2025.

It’s worth nothing, the FCA’s decision to extend the deadline to December 4 next year is just when firms have to respond to any complaints.

Customers can still complain to their providers before this point, and in some cases, there are time limits for doing so.

You can find more information about any time limits on the FCA website.

What is the Car Finance Discretionary Commission Scandal?

The Car Finance Discretionary Commission Scandal affects those who bought a car, motorbike or van on finance before January 28, 2021.

After this date, the city watchdog the FCA banned lenders from using “discretionary commission arrangements” (DCAs).

DCAs allowed brokers to increase interest rates on car finance loans, which in turn saw their commission bumped up.

It has been classed as an unfair practice because drivers weren’t told about the DCAs and therefore thought any deals were a fixed price that they couldn’t negotiate on.

Anyone who took out a vehicle on finance before January 28, 2021, could have been unfairly paying more than they should have.

The FCA has now launched an investigation to see how many people have been impacted.

MSE’s website has a useful checklist on who might be in line for money back.

It also has a list of firms that are unlikely to have handed out dodgy deals and therefore don’t owe customers money.

Among the major lenders which could be set to pay out compensation are Lloyds Banking Group, Bank of Ireland, Investec and Santander.

These banks are said to have set aside millions of pounds to help cover the costs of the payouts since the court case in October.

The Royal Bank of Canada has estimated that the industry’s bill for motor finance compensation could stretch to £13billion.

How to claim

Consumer website MoneySavingExpert.com has a page on its website with an email template you can use to complain to your firm.

Or, you can complain directly to them without using the template.

It’s important to note that anyone who took out car finance should make a claim.

Plus those who claimed previously but had it turned down before should try again.

In the complaint, you should ask whether you were overcharged due to your broker getting paid a commission and ask the company to correct this if that is what happened.

If you’re not satisfied with the company’s response, you can take your complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) for free.

You have until July 29, 2026, or up to 15 months from the date of their final response letter, whichever is longest.

Be wary of using a claims management firm to help you claw back any overpaid car finance as you’ll have to pay it a portion of any successful claim.

The FCA has previously said the total cost of redressing motorists impacted by the car finance scandal could cost firms between £6billion and £16billion.

It means affected customers could get potentially £1,000s back in overpayments.

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A COUPLE’S home has been left in ruins after vibrations from a neighbouring construction site caused a terrifying Jurassic Park-style shake.

The Winstons, who moved into their dream home 10 years ago, say their lives have been turned upside down by the construction of a new development by Miller Homes right next door.

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Lynda and Stephen Winston claim their once peaceful home in North Yorkshire now shakes every time the builders get to work, leaving them with 149 cracks across their walls and a £20,000 repair bill.

The couple claims the building work has caused significant damage to their ceilings, ceramic floor tiles, and both internal and external brickwork.

To make matters worse, the dust from the site has rendered their garden unusable for four years.

The damage was reportedly caused by vibrations from a huge hole being dug for a stormwater tank.

Lynda told The Telegraph: “My cups of tea have the Jurassic Park effect.

“The pictures rattle on the walls. It’s as if the house is shaking from the inside out.”

Now, the Winstons are facing a whopping £20,910 bill to fix the damage – which involves replacing plasterboard, filling in hairline cracks, and redecorating every room.

But the developers have offered the couple just £1,000 in compensation, something Lynda says is a slap in the face.

She said: “My husband has a life-limiting heart condition and cancer, and the stress from this development contributed to him having a mini-stroke last year.

“They won’t even pay for scaffolding to fix the gable end of our house.”

The Winstons say the damage began when Miller Homes excavated a pit for a stormwater tank.

Lynda claims the vibrations started almost immediately and continued long after the excavation was finished.

She said: “It’s gone on for months.

“They promised vibration meters but they didn’t deliver.

“It’s as if they’re just brushing us off.”

The couple believes Miller Homes should have known that digging close to their property line would cause serious damage, and they say the developer should be footing the bill for repairs.

However, Miller Homes insists that the damage isn’t structural, with surveys showing only hairline cracks and “cosmetic issues.”

The company has tried to offer compensation, but the Winstons aren’t satisfied.

Lynda added: “I’ve never lived in a house in this state of disrepair. All the work we did when we first moved in has been wrecked.

“This isn’t cosmetic – it’s our home. It’s ruined.”

Neighbours aren’t faring much better.

Will Blue, who lives next door, claims vibrations from the site have also caused cracks in his home, a damaged ceiling, and several doors that no longer shut.

After spending £5,000 fixing the damage, he says Miller Homes refused to pay for the repairs.

Will said: “It’s the powerlessness of it.

“I just want to have a conversation with Miller Homes and sort this out. They’ve completely ignored us.”

A spokesperson for Miller Homes has said: “We regret that work at our Langley Gate development impacted a small number of neighbours.

“We regret that work at our Langley Gate development impacted a small number of neighbours and we have tried to work constructively with them on resolving the issues.

“A series of surveys, conducted by independent surveyors, have identified hairline cracks and minor cosmetic defects.

“We have offered payment to cover the work required and are committed to rectifying these issues through continued dialogue with the affected parties.”

But for the Winstons, the damage to their home is more than just cosmetic – it’s a painful reminder of the nightmare they’ve been living for the last few years.

Lynda said: “If it comes to it, I’ll stand outside Langley Gate with a placard, I’m not letting them get away with this.”

Meanwhile, they’re not the only couple suffering the effects of a nightmare neighbour.

Disgusted locals are demanding action after a “filthy” neighbour turned their home into a makeshift tip with tonnes of rubbish dumped on the driveway.

This comes as an electrician fears he’ll never be able to sell his home after his neighbour dug a 10ft hole in his garden next door.

He’s not the only one, another grandad claims he would struggle to sell his property because a bumbling neighbour ruined his garden.

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A ONE-bedroom flat in a Scottish town is set to go up for auction at a bargain price – but there’s a catch.

The home, located on Lawn Street in Paisley, has been dubbed the cheapest property in Scotland.

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The flat is being sold by Prime Property Auctions, who have offered a guide price of just £5,000.

The firm explained that it has recently been reduced and is a bargain for anyone looking to snap up a home in the area.

Especially since one-bedroom properties in the surrounding location have recently sold for over £50,000.

But there’s a catch – the home needs a complete renovation.

The flat needs a revamp as it’s more of a fixer-upper and not in a complete state.

The property currently has no windows and the walls are fully exposed with the brickwork visible.

The ceilings are also caved in, with wires and electrical outlets hanging from the sides.

The door frames have been removed and the flooring has been ripped up, with a huge mess left on the ground.

There is also no fitted kitchen and no useable bathroom.

However, someone with the ability to fix the problems and do the place up could turn it into a wonderful home.

If they did, then they could make around £550-625 a month in rent for the property, which has been valued at around £50,000 once refurbished.

Experts at Prime Property Auctions have said that the property is also located in a prime spot in the town.

It sits near a whole host of local amenities including many popular restaurants, bars and supermarkets, with local schools also nearby.

A spokesperson from Prime Property Auctions said: “This property is ready for builder, investor or developer to bring to life and is a potentially high-yielding investment property.

“Sure to appeal to investors looking for an easy lettable flat in a sought-after location with great potential for Capital Growth.

“The local areas have seen some great sales recently showing that there is strong demand.”

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SPORTS Direct has unveiled its star-studded Christmas advert for 2024 which is set to appeal to football, rugby and wider fitness fans.

The action-packed film features sporting legend Frank Lampard and a plethora of other high-profile sporting legends.

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The clip, named “New Traditions Start Here’”, also sees England and Chelsea footballer Lucy Bronze make an appearance, as well as endurance athlete Russ ‘Hardest Geezer’ Cook.

They are joined by boxing industry entrepreneur Eddie Hearn, and England Rugby player Maro Itoje.

The professionals are shown encouraging the take up of new sporting traditions that can be enjoyed throughout the festive season.

The film follows a sporty family and begins outside a snowy UK home, where a spirited nan shadowboxes with a snowman in the front garden.

With a kick, she sends the snowman’s head flying into the sky.

This is followed by fitness coach Faisal Abdalla enjoying a makeshift HYROX session in the garage alongside the son.

Frank Lampard appears on an opposing football team, while Lucy Bronze steps in to assist the daughter to score a winning goal.

Irish sprinter athlete Rhasidat Adeleke joins the mum on her run club, before sprinting off.

Boxing industry stars and Everlast ambassadors Eddie Hearn, Conor Benn and Johnny Fisher enjoy a trim in a barber shop and Skye Nicolson also makes an appearance.

Ultra-runner and endurance athlete Russ “Hardest Geezer” Cook appears as a giant while England Rugby star Maro Itoje takes part in some pad work with the nan before being tackled.

The ad aims to show that from family runs to football and rugby matches or exercise sessions in the garage, there’s something sporty for all families to embrace over the festive period.

Almost two thirds of Britons will engage in sporting traditions this year, according to Sports Direct.

One in five will go on a run, while a further one in ten will play football with family and friends.

More than half the nation will engage in a hike or walk and a third will do some form of functional fitness. 

The campaign showcases a selection of key Sports Direct products, ideal for those embarking on new sporting traditions. Featured items include the PUMA Deviate Nitro 3, adidas Predator Elite, Under Armour Infinite and Nike Pegasus 41 Gore-Tex trainers.

David Clark, chief customer officer at Frasers Group, which owns Sports Direct, said: “At Sports Direct, sport is at the centre of everything we do, and we believe in its unique power to inspire.

“This winter season, we’re challenging sports enthusiasts to level up their usual festivities, embrace new traditions, and elevate their holidays with sport – whether it’s a Boxing Day football match or a winter walk.”

Sports Direct Christmas adverts through the years

It’s not the first time Sports Direct’s Christmas ad has featured a cast of stars.

In 2021  Sports Direct splurged £6million on the the most expensive Christmas advert at the time with tennis champ Emma Raducanu and football ace Jack Grealish leading a line-up of 16 sports stars.

The following year in 2022 Mason Mount channelled his inner Greek God in the festive ad alongside legends Eric Cantona and Thierry Henry.

And last year’s ad again featured Mason Mount alongside lionesses Alessia Russo and Lauren Hemp.