Senior DWP officials spoke to MPs about the support scheme
The DWP has issued an update regarding a scheme that could be worth £4,000 or more in additional support. Senior department officials appeared before the Public Accounts Committee to discuss the scheme, which can provide over £60,000 a year in assistance.
The top officials briefed MPs about the Access to Work scheme. This is a grant programme offering extra workplace support for those with a health condition or disability, helping them carry out their job. Through the programme, you can receive up to £69,260 annually in grants, which can cover things like specialist equipment or a support worker.
The average grant award is £4,000 per year, or £10,500 for those requiring a support worker, the equivalent of almost £200 a week.
Both demand and spending on the scheme have doubled since the 2018/2019 tax year, with the DWP spending £321million on the programme in 2024/2025. The current wait time for applications to be processed is up to 37 weeks.
However, the committee heard that the DWP can fast-track your application. DWP permanent secretary, Peter Schofield, said: “If you have a job that you are ready to start within four weeks, we prioritise it. If there is some other reason why it needs to be prioritised, we prioritise it.”
The officials said they are making progress in cutting the time needed to process cases. Mr Schofield said one significant change they have observed is the type of medical conditions for which people are claiming the support.
Different health conditions
He explained: “What we have seen is not only a doubling of claims but a really dramatic change in the nature of the claims coming in and of the health conditions that we are talking about-more mental health conditions and more conditions around neurodiversity. There is not a standard way of looking at what would be required in terms of reasonable adjustments.”
Reasonable adjustments are modifications that employers are legally obliged to provide so a person with a health condition can perform their job. This might include supplying physical aids or altering how you carry out your work.
Mr Schofield said: “You have to think about each of those conditions individually. They could be fluctuating conditions; they could be conditions that impact in particular circumstances in a different way.
“Obviously, the nature of the workplace has changed dramatically as well. To get this right – to get the right decisions – is a really complex piece of work, and we have got to get it right.”
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Who might be eligible for Access to Work?
DWP guidance explains that to qualify for Access to Work funding, you need to have “a physical or mental health condition or disability that means you need support to do your job or get to and from work”. You don’t need to be diagnosed with a medical condition to apply for the support.
These types of health conditions could qualify you for the funding:
- A physical disability, for instance if you’re hard of hearing or use a wheelchair
- A learning disability or related condition, such as Down’s syndrome
- A developmental condition, like autism spectrum disorder
- Having ADHD or dyslexia
- An illness such as diabetes or epilepsy
- A temporary condition, like a broken leg
- A mental health condition, for example anxiety or depression.
You can apply for the support through the Government website.
