Access to Work (Government Funded Scheme)

Who can get help?

You can get help if you:

Are disabled, have a mental health condition or have a long-term health condition that impacts your ability to work. Are aged 16 or over
Live in England, Scotland or Wales – there’s a different system in Northern Ireland

‘Disabled’ has the same meaning as in the Equality Act 2010. This defines disability as ‘a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on [your] ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities’.

Disabled can also include disabilities that only become apparent in the workplace. An example of this might be where you started work and found that your eyesight was affected by computer screens but had not noticed this problem before you started work.

What help is available?

AtW support covers a wide range of interventions beyond ‘reasonable adjustments’ associated with overcoming work-related barriers resulting from disability. The support package is agreed based on individual need.

Examples of the kind of help available through Access to Work are:

A communicator, advocate or BSL interpreter for a job interview, if you’re D/deaf or have communication difficulties
A support worker, such as a reader for somebody with a visual impairment; communicator for a D/deaf person; a specialist job coach for a person with a learning difficulty; or a helper for personal care needs at work
Specialist equipment (or alterations to existing equipment) to suit your particular need.
Help towards the additional costs of taxi fares if you cannot use public transport to get to work
Support via Access to Work’s dedicated Workplace Mental Health Support Service (see below).

Young people who start a work placement with an employer as part of the Department for Education supported internship programme or a traineeship will be able to apply for Access to Work support for the time of their work placement only.

Access to Work will fund additional travel, job coach and other support, including costs of equipment if appropriate, and promote the smooth transition into paid employment.

No other types of unpaid internships or traineeships will qualify for Access to Work support.

Grant Amounts

There is no set amount for an Access to Work grant. How much you get depends on your specific case. The grant will only cover the support needed to let you stay in work or self-employed.

In 2015 Access to Work grants were capped to a maximum yearly award limit of 1.5 times the national average salary. This was going to be raised from £42,100 to £43,100 in April 2018. However, because of monitoring the impact on the cap and government engagement with groups and individuals, the cap will now rise to £57,200, double average earnings, and will be uprated annually on that basis. Alongside this change, existing capped customers will, where applicable, have their needs considered against this new limit when their awards are due for their annual review.

Access to Work will pay 100 per cent of the approved costs (subject to the cap) for:

travel to work, for a support worker/reader or a communicator for support at job interviews
if you are unemployed and starting a new job
you have been working for an employer and have been in the job for less than six weeks
are self-employed; or setting up your own business through the New Enterprise Allowance

If you have been in your job for 6 weeks or more when you first apply for help, Access to Work will pay a proportion of the costs of support as follows:

Employers with less than 50 staff: Access to Work can pay 100% of the approved costs.
Employers with 50 to 249 staff: Employer will have to pay the first £500 and Access to Work can then pay 80% of the approved costs up to £10,000.
Large employers with 250 or more staff: Employer will have to pay the first £1,000 and Access to Work can then pay 80% of the approved costs up to £10,000.

Access to work would normally cover all additional costs over £10,000, subject to any cap.

What Access to work cannot cover

The Equality Act 2010 places a duty on an employer to make reasonable adjustments for disabled employees. Access to Work funding cannot be used to support these adjustments.

Access to work will also not fund items which are regarded as standard equipment, standard business costs or standard health and safety requirements. This means that any item which would normally be needed to do the job, whether a person is disabled or not, will not be paid for.

Students

If you need communication help for a job interview before graduation, you should be able to access this service, even though you’re still studying.

If you have a disability or specific learning difficulty and are studying in higher education, you may be eligible for Disabled Students’ Allowances (DSAs)

See factsheet: https://www.disabilityrightsuk.org/applying-disabled-students%E2%80%99-allowances-dsas

Employers and Access to Work

When you’re applying for jobs, you should mention to your potential employer, either at the application stage or in your interview, that Access to Work may be available to you.

An Access to Work information leaflet for employers is available at www.gov.uk/government/publications/access-to-work-guide-for-employers

Access to Work also produced an eligibility letter, which you can give to your employer or take to a job interview. Download a copy at: www.gov.uk/government/publications/access-to-work-eligibility-letter-for-employees-and-employers

How to apply?

You can apply online, but please contact our office on 01254 544 11 or 07989 447 429 for further support and guidance with your application.

Online:

www.gov.uk/access-to-work/apply

Telephone: 0800 121 7479
Textphone: 0800 121 7579
Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm
Find out about call charges

British Sign Language (BSL) video relay service

To use this, you must:

Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm

Alternative formats

Call the Access to Work number to ask for alternative formats, such as braille, large print or audio CD.

If you need an alternative way of contacting Access to Work to discuss your needs, you can use the contact details below to write to us:

Access to Work
Operational Support Unit
Harrow Jobcentre Plus
Mail Handling Site A
Wolverhampton
WV98 1JE

Supported Internships and Traineeships

The application process for those on supported internships and traineeships wishing to apply to Access to Work has now been revised.

Changes include:

The provision for a supported employment provider to make an application on behalf of an education provider (education providers can still make the claim if they would like to do so)
A move from one form per month, to one per placement for each student
The ability to make applications up to three months in advance.

For a flowchart setting out who may be eligible for Access to Work funding and the form for applying for Access to Work funding go to:

https://www.preparingforadulthood.org.uk/downloads/supported-internships/access-to-work-fund.htm

Completed applications should be sent to the dedicated Access to Work team at: Atwosu.london@dwp.gsi.gov.uk

Northern Ireland, the Isle of Man or the Channel Islands

You cannot get Access to Work support if you live in Northern Ireland, the Isle of Man or the Channel Islands. For information about the similar scheme in Northern Ireland, see www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/employment-support-information

Forms

Access to Work is now using a specific medical form in connection with claims for travel to work. The new form can be completed by someone that knows the individual well, giving a clear indication why the person needs support with Travel to Work. Once completed this then needs to be signed by a medical professional to verify that the information is accurate. This could be the GP, Practice Nurse, Psychiatrist, Psychologist, Learning Disability Nurse but it can’t be signed by a non-medical person such as Social Worker or Support worker.

How long is Access to Work funding available for?

Access to Work funding agreements can cover up to three years. Reviews normally take place annually to assess if continued or further funding is needed. As long as you need the funding, you should continue to get it.

What if I disagree with an Access to Work decision?

You cannot appeal against an Access to Work decision, but you can ask for it to be reconsidered by a different Access to Work Adviser. To arrange this, use the contact details at the top of your award letter.

If your circumstances change – such as if you change employer or your job role – you can ask for your award to be reviewed.

If you have a complaint about the service you have received from Access to Work staff you can use the DWP complaints procedure. For more about this, see: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-work-pensions/about/complaints-procedure

Where can I get more help or information?

For general information on Access to Work go to www.gov.uk/access-to-work

See also DWP’s Access to Work: factsheet for customers at; www.gov.uk/government/publications/access-to-work-factsheet

You can view the DWP Access to Work Staff Guidance at; www.gov.uk/government/publications/access-to-work-staff-guide

For Access to Work statistics go to; https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/access-to-work-statistics

To view Access to Work Provider Guidance go to; www.gov.uk/government/publications/access-to-work-dwp-provider-guidance

Please contact the School of Sign Language; on 01254 544 11 or 07989 447 429 for further support and guidance.