'I've lost over £4,000 because of the ADHD tax'

Rach Idowu runs a blog called Adulting with ADHD

January can be a tricky time for many people when it comes to managing post-Christmas finances. But for people with ADHD, like myself, it can be a never-ending problem of spiralling outgoings, sometimes referred to as the ADHD tax.

When Rach Idowu arrived at the airport, she quickly encountered problems when her ticket would not scan.

She was heading to Barcelona for a work internship and her stress levels started to rise.

She double checked her ticket but couldn't see what was wrong.

She tracked down an airport worker who quickly spotted the issue - her flight had left hours earlier.

"I wasn't paying attention to detail and sadly had to pay out for another one," Rach tells the BBC podcast, Access All. That mistake cost her £200.

But this was not a case of Rach being scatty, instead it was the reality of living with ADHD.

The neurodevelopmental condition often means people have trouble paying attention to details and may regularly misplace or lose items causing additional expenditure. Within the community, these extra payouts have become known as the ADHD tax and with about 3% of the UK population thought to have ADHD, that so-called tax could be impacting hundreds of thousands of people.

Rach, who runs the Adulting with ADHD blog, was diagnosed with ADHD in 2020 and estimates that she has lost around £4,000 as a result of the ADHD tax, so far.

LISTEN: You can hear more from Rach and Professor Amanda Kirby on this topic on Access All.

Beyond missing flights, there are a wealth of other ways that ADHD can lead to you having to pay more than other people.

"I got out a credit card and didn't read the terms and conditions," Rach says. "I forgot about paying back the debt which meant I had lots of extra fees."

As someone with ADHD myself, I can relate to many of Rach's experiences. Over the years I've paid hundreds of pounds to replace lost pairs of glasses.

I've also had to call locksmiths several times when I have lost the keys to my flat.

There are other challenges that ADHD people face too, such as impulse spending.

Technology has changed the way we shop. And it is easier than ever to buy something with a single swipe on a smartphone.

Rach says: "A lot of the ADHD tax derives from ordering things and not using them. And I don't return [unwanted items] because it's mentally taxing to fill out the forms."

Professor Amanda Kirby an expert on ADHD, who also lives with the condition, says Rach's challenges are felt by many.

She says people with ADHD are prone to impulsive behaviour because the neurotransmitter that controls feelings of wellbeing and reward does not function properly.

The impulsive spending "gives you a quick hit [of dopamine], but then it's not got that lasting impact".

Professor Kirby says many ADHD'ers also have dyscalculia - a condition that makes it hard to process number-based information. This means budgeting and financial planning can either be non-existent or highly stressful.

Many in the community use online forums and platforms such as Instagram to share challenges and solutions around these issues, but increasingly support is being offered in other places too.

Rach's Important Box is where she puts anything which she needs to keep track of

High street banks have become more aware of some of the difficulties neurodivergent customers may face and are making changes to some of their products to assist with this.

Some banks have a number of features on their apps such as instant notifications and "pots" where money comes out of a specific area in the account rather than from the overall balance.

Natalie Ledward, head of vulnerability, access and inclusion at Monzo bank, says these features are designed to give customers "control over their spending behaviour, something that's helpful for everyone but critical for people with ADHD".

Rach finds the Monzo app has helped her get on top of her finances, but she's got her own solution to help reduce her ADHD tax.

Like many other people with ADHD, she often has to re-purchase items such as watches and keys because she regularly misplaces them. Now she has a daily ritual of putting these objects in an old knitting kit box which she has renamed her Important Box.

"It's where I put my wallet, my Airpods or anything that's important," says Rach. "I have ADHD, I'm forgetful. So just having everything in the Important Box will help me remember to put it back there."

Despite having these work-arounds to avoid the ADHD tax there are still days when Rach might lose things or misread the small print.

Even so, she has no regrets about her trip to Spain despite having to pay out hundreds of pounds for a new ticket.

"I loved my experience," she says. "I tend to dive head first into everything and I'm driven by excitement."

You can listen to the podcast and find information and support on the BBC Access All page.