MPs recently discussed changes to the DWP system
The DWP has faced scrutiny over one of its payment schemes that can be worth many thousands of pounds. Experts in the policy field recently spoke to MPs about people with a disability or health condition struggling to get the support they are entitled to.
One area of concern that was raised was the Access to Work. This is a DWP scheme offering grants to help people with a disability or medical condition, to pay for support they need to start or continue in a job. The latest DWP figures show that in the 2024/2025 financial year, grants were paid out for 74,190 customers, with an average annual payment of £4,000.
You can actually get much more through the scheme, up to £69,260 a year. The funds can pay for a wide range of things you may need. These can include aids and equipment in your workplace, adaptations to equipment, extra travel costs, an interpreter or other support you need at a job interview to help you communicate.
If you have a mental health condition, the grant funding can also go towards creating a support plan for you, which can include flexible working patterns or additional training. People on Universal Credit may be eligible for the support.
Who could be eligible for Access to Work grants?
Guidance on the Government website explains: “Universal Credit is a single benefit paid to those in or out of employment. If you are claiming Universal Credit and have a disability or health condition, you will be able to apply for Access to Work for any paid work you do.”
People who claim PIP (Personal Independence Payment) may also want to check if they qualify. PIP helps cover the extra costs of living with a long-term health condition or disability, so receiving this benefit could help show that you have a health condition that qualifies you for Access to Work. You do not need to be receiving disability benefits to qualify.
The guidance warns that you may not qualify if you claim one of these benefits:
- Incapacity Benefit
- legacy Employment Support Allowance
- Severe Disablement Allowance
- Income Support paid because of illness
- National Insurance credits.
Despite the sizeable grants on offer, the a recent meeting of the Work and Pensions Committee heard that many employers aren’t aware of the scheme. Chris Russell, senior policy manager at the Federation of Small Businesses, said awareness of the scheme among small business employers is “not high and definitely could be higher”.
‘A great scheme’
He said: “The support that Access to Work provides can often make the difference between them staying in work and leaving the labour market. The main problems I see are the waiting times and the application process. The support that the scheme provides is fantastic, but if the department could address waiting times and do something about the application process, it would be most beneficial because, yes, in general it is a great scheme.”
The experts also warned that some people receiving the support have seen their grant awards reduced. James Taylor, executive director of Strategy, Impact and Social Change at disability charity Scope, shared a story of a woman called Jamila, who was previously using Access to Work to pay for taxi trips and for a support worker for 24 hours a week of support workers.
She had some time off work sick for several months, and so did not use a lot of her allocated funding. As a result, her support worker funding was reduced to eight hours a week and the amount for her taxis was also reduced.
Mr Taylor said: “She cannot work without the right level of support. She works in the NHS and does loads of site visits. The reduced funding means she can only go to two sites, but she has to visit up to 50 for her job. She has now handed in her notice. Official or unofficial, that sort of change has an impact on disabled people. These are people who want to be in work, and that is what we are hearing.”
Tom Pollard, head of Policy, Public Affairs and Campaigns at mental health charity Mind, also told the MPs: “I have heard isolated anecdotal evidence of reductions in awards or a more stringent application process. The latest stats that came out last week showed a lower number of approvals compared with last year, but I have not heard anything robust on that.”
Upcoming changes to Access to Work
The latest numbers from the DWP show that 56,000 people had Access to Work approved in the financial year ending March 2025. This was a 12 percent decrease compared to the previous year, when 63,450 people were approved. The DWP was asked for a comment.
A DWP spokesperson said: “Access to Work supports thousands of sick or disabled people to start or stay in work, but the scheme we inherited is failing employees and employers. That’s why we’re working with disabled people and their organisations to improve it – ensuring people have the support, skills, and opportunities to move into good, secure jobs as part of our Plan for Change.”
The DWP said it is reviewing “all aspects” of the scheme after a consultation which ended in June 2025. Case managers at the DWP have been given extra training to help them make better and more consistent decisions about people’s awards.
The group said this may mean that some award amounts are changed when they are renewed. However, this does not reflect a change in policy of the scheme.
