Comping – regularly entering competitions and prize draws – has a dedicated following in the UK. For disabled people, it can be a flexible hobby that fits around changing energy levels and access needs. There is no guaranteed return, though, and inaccessible entry methods, scams and the sheer time involved can make comping harder than it first appears.
Comping for Disabled People: Key Takeaways
| What to know | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Comping is a hobby, not reliable work | Even experienced compers cannot predict what they will win or when. |
| Many competitions can be entered from home | This may suit some disabled people who need flexibility around energy, pain, personal assistance or other access needs. |
| Competition websites are not always accessible | CAPTCHAs, poorly labelled forms and social media entry rules can create barriers. |
| Scams are common | Fake winning messages may ask for card details or a payment to receive a supposed prize. |
| Choose competitions carefully | Focusing on prizes you actually want can make the time spent entering more worthwhile. |
What Is Comping and How Does It Work?
People who regularly enter competitions often call themselves “compers”. Some enter the occasional supermarket prize draw; others spend hours each week searching for and entering competitions.
The prizes can range from a £20 shopping voucher to technology, cars and holidays. Entries might involve filling out a form, answering a question, sending a text, commenting on a social media post or submitting something creative.
There is a surprisingly established comping community in Britain. One of its best-known figures is Di Coke, who runs SuperLucky and produces YouTube videos and guides about finding and entering competitions. Which? has also interviewed long-term compers who have won holidays, cash, bicycles, vouchers and other prizes over many years.
That does not make comping a dependable source of income. A prize worth £1,000 is only worth £1,000 to you if it is something you would otherwise have bought, can use or are able to sell. You could also spend many hours entering and win nothing.
Can Disabled People Benefit From Comping?
The flexibility is probably the most interesting aspect of comping from a disability perspective.
There is no boss expecting you to be online at 9am and no requirement to enter competitions every day. Someone with fluctuating energy, for example, could enter a few competitions when they feel up to it and leave the rest alone.
It can also simply be something enjoyable to do. A competition gives you the possibility of a parcel arriving unexpectedly or winning something you would never have bought for yourself.
That said, we should be careful about presenting an activity that can be done from home as automatically “ideal for disabled people”. Disabled people have very different access requirements, and supposedly simple online activities can create their own barriers.
Can competiton prizes affect disability benefits?
If you receive PIP, winning a competition will not affect it. PIP is not means-tested, so your income, savings and any prize winnings make no difference to your award, whether you win a £20 voucher or a car.
The same applies to Disability Living Allowance and Attendance Allowance, which also ignore savings and capital.
Means-tested benefits are a different matter. If you receive Universal Credit, Housing Benefit, Pension Credit or income-related ESA, a cash prize counts as capital rather than income once it lands in your account.
Below £6,000 in total savings, most people see no change. Between £6,000 and £16,000, Universal Credit is reduced on a sliding scale, and above £16,000 you are usually not entitled to Universal Credit at all while your capital stays that high.
Non-cash prizes, such as a holiday or gadget, are generally not counted as capital unless you sell them.
If a win could push your savings over these thresholds, report it to the DWP through your Universal Credit journal, and check with an adviser such as Citizens Advice or your local council if you are unsure how it affects your specific benefits.
What Accessibility Barriers Can Disabled Compers Face?
Imagine deciding to enter ten competitions before lunch. One uses an inaccessible CAPTCHA. Another requires you to follow several Instagram accounts and tag friends. The next has a poorly labelled entry form. Another wants a photograph. One requires a text message, and the final competition says winners may be contacted by telephone.
None of those entry methods will be equally accessible to everyone.
Repeated form filling can be tiring for people with limited dexterity or fatigue. Image-based CAPTCHAs and badly built forms can cause problems for screen-reader users. Complex instructions and numerous entry stages can create extra work for people with cognitive access requirements.
Social media competitions bring another problem. An entry might require several actions across Instagram or Facebook, making what looks like a one-minute competition considerably more demanding.
Access can become an issue after winning too. A prize holiday, festival ticket, restaurant visit or experience may have been advertised without useful accessibility information. Before entering for an experience, it is worth checking whether you could actually use the prize and whether a companion or personal assistant can attend if needed.
How Can Disabled People Start Comping Safely?
You do not need to enter hundreds of competitions a day. Starting with 15 or 20 minutes can tell you whether you actually enjoy it.
A separate email address for competition entries can make messages easier to manage. Read the eligibility rules and closing date before spending time on an entry, particularly for creative competitions. Check how the winner will be contacted too.
Be selective about personal information. SuperLucky warns that some competition and survey websites pass entrants’ details to other companies, leading to unwanted emails, post and phone calls. It also warns compers never to provide credit card details or make a payment to receive a supposed prize.
Fake social media accounts are another risk. Scammers can copy the name and appearance of a genuine company account, then contact people who entered its giveaway. Check the original competition post and the account contacting you before responding to a winning message.
Which Competitions Are Worth Entering?
Rather than entering everything you see, think about what would genuinely be useful or enjoyable.
- Cash and shopping vouchers
- Food and household products
- Computers, tablets and other technology
- Accessible days out and holidays
- Mobility and independent-living products
- Writing, photography and creative competitions
- Local radio and community competitions
If a free holiday you actually want is hard to find, paid-entry sites are another route worth knowing about. Sites such as BOTB get you buy a ticket for a chance to win a holiday, with prizes ranging from city breaks to long-haul trips, alongside a “giveaways” section for smaller free-to-enter prizes. These work differently to free prize draws, since you are paying for a ticket rather than entering for nothing, so it’s worth deciding whether that trade-off suits your budget and how you like to comp.
Creative competitions can be particularly interesting because they are not always based purely on chance. Disabled writers, artists, photographers and designers can also look for opportunities specifically open to, or focused on work by, disabled people.
Is Comping Worth It for Disabled People?
Comping makes most sense when the process itself is enjoyable and a prize is treated as a bonus.
There are people who take it very seriously. SuperLucky’s 2025 survey found that 55% of respondents had been comping for more than ten years, while almost a quarter had been doing it for more than 30 years. That tells us something important: for many people, this is a long-term hobby rather than a quick attempt to make money.
For a disabled person who enjoys competitions and wants something flexible to do from home, it could be worth trying. Set a time limit, choose prizes you genuinely want and keep track of what you enter.
And if you spend half an hour entering competitions and decide it is incredibly boring? You have your answer too.
Comping does not need to become a job. The appeal is much simpler: enter something you fancy, forget about it, and perhaps one day an email arrives telling you that you’ve won.
Comping for Disabled People: Frequently Asked Questions
What does comping mean?
Comping means regularly entering competitions, giveaways and prize draws. Some people enter occasionally, while dedicated compers may spend several hours each week finding and entering competitions for cash, holidays, technology, vouchers and other prizes.
Can you make money from comping?
Comping should not be treated as a dependable way to make money. There is no guarantee of winning, and many prizes are products or experiences rather than cash. Even experienced compers can go through periods without significant wins.
Can comping be a flexible hobby for disabled people?
It can be for some disabled people because many competitions can be entered from home and there are usually no fixed hours. However, accessibility varies. Fatigue, repeated form filling, inaccessible CAPTCHAs, poorly labelled websites and complicated social media entry rules can all create barriers.
How much time should I spend entering competitions?
There is no set amount. If you are new to comping, try a short period such as 15 or 20 minutes and see whether you enjoy it. Spending more time entering competitions does not guarantee that you will win.
How can I tell if a competition win is a scam?
Check that the message comes from the genuine company or competition organiser. Be suspicious if you are unexpectedly asked for card details, money or a fee to receive a prize. Compare the message with the original competition and its terms before providing personal information.
