Today, Monday 21st April 2025, marks a major milestone — Mi-Spend is celebrating its fifth birthday! Over the past five years, Mi-Spend has been transforming how people with learning disabilities, autism, and dementia access and manage their everyday spending.
As society moves further into a digital-first financial system, Mi-Spend remains a vital tool for maintaining independence, dignity, and financial control.
Michaela, founder of Mi-Spend shares how it feels to be running for five years and how the services have benefitted people with learning disabilities and other cognitive impairments:
“I feel honoured that we’ve spent the past five years supporting disabled people to access their money independently. It has benefited so many people with many of our customers saying that it has been life-changing for them by providing spending money cards that promote independence and inclusion. They have been able to access activities and services in their community that they had previously been excluded from before they had our cards.
“We would like to thank all of the people who have our cards and their Appointees, Deputies and support teams and we look forward to helping more people in the coming years.”
What is a Mi-Spend card?
The Mi-Spend pre-paid card was designed to meet the needs of people whose finances are managed by an Appointee, Deputy, or Guardian. It gives users a secure, practical way to spend money without needing to rely on cash — whether that’s shopping online, paying by card in-store, or withdrawing at ATMs.
Each card is issued in the user’s name and loaded by their financial representative. The account includes a unique sort code and account number. This setup helps ensure that no one else’s money is mixed with yours, and the person managing your benefits can still monitor spending and receive notifications.
Because you can only spend what is loaded onto the card, there’s no risk of going overdrawn or overspending. It provides a sense of control and safety while reducing the hassle of handling physical cash.
Why financial independence matters
Mi-Spend reduces the stress of budgeting and eliminates the need for standing in queues to withdraw cash. With many high street banks closing and more retailers going cashless, having a digital payment option is essential.
Councils such as Cambridgeshire County Council and Dorset Council have adopted Mi-Spend cards for their service users. It has helped people take part in everyday activities with fewer barriers.
Many users also benefit from having the card fee counted as a disability-related expense, meaning the cost may be deducted from what you pay towards your care.
How to apply for a Mi-Spend card
The application is completed by your Appointee, Deputy, or Guardian and is simple to do. Once they’ve set it up and added money, your card is ready to use.
If you want to know more, visit the Mi-Spend website at www.mi-spend.co.uk or ask your financial representative to get in touch.
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