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The Government's Access to Work Scheme helps employers to employ and retain disabled staff by offering help and financial support for disabled employees in the work place. If an employee’s impairment affects their ability to perform in a role and a reasonable adjustment requires funding, the Access to Work scheme can help meet the costs. The scheme is operated through  Job Centre Plus who offers advice on reasonable adjustments in the workplace and who process funding applications for Access to Work grants.   

What does Access to Work fund?

• Support workers
• Communication workers at interviews
• Travel to work costs that are over and above normal travel costs because of the disability
• Equipment/assistive technologies/ specialist software
• Awareness training for colleagues
• Adaptations to premises e.g. automatic doors, accessible toilets, ramps etc.

Eligibility

People can apply for an ‘Access to Work’ grant if they are:

• Disabled
• Over 16 years of age
• Either in or about to start employment paid  at the minimum wage or above
• Not claiming any benefit (except Disability Living Allowance)

Employment can be temporary or permanent and there is no upper age limit. Self employment is also covered.


Assessment

‘Access to Work’ assessments are carried out by experts who identify what support is needed to help the employee fulfil their role. Assessments are normally carried out in the workplace but this may be determined by the information provided by the applicant on the application form.


Access to Work Grant

The amount of Access to Work grant is dependent on the type of support needed and what is deemed necessary following the assessment.  The grant will cover all of the identified costs if the employee has been with the organisation for less than six weeks, or your organisation employs nine or fewer employees.   Where adjustments have been identified for longer serving employees the Access the Work grant will cover a percentage of the cost dependant on the size of the organisation:

• Employers with 10 to 49 employees will pay the first £300 and 20 per cent of costs up to £10,000
• Employers with 50 to 249 employees will pay the first £500 and 20 per cent of costs up to £10,000
• Large employers with 250 or more employees will pay the first £1,000 and 20 per cent of costs up to £10,000

How to apply

To initially establish if you someone is eligible for a grant, they should contact their regional Access to Work Contact Centre based in London, Cardiff or Glasgow.  Alternatively, they can contact a Disability Employment Adviser at a local Job Centre Plus, who can offer advice on the Access to Work scheme and guidance on making reasonable adjustments in the workplace.   If someone is potentially eligible for a grant, the Access to Work Contact Centre will issue an Application Form in order to assess the employee’s needs in the work place.  An Access to Work Assessor will evaluate the application with either a telephone assessment or visit to the place of work.  The Assessor follows up the evaluation by producing a report outlining recommended reasonable adjustments and financial support available via the Access to Work scheme.  


Potential clients should contact the relevant Operating Support Unit:

OSU Cardiff deals with cases from the East Midlands, South West, West Midlands Regions and Wales

OSU Glasgow deals with cases from the North East, North West, Yorkshire and Humberside Regions and Scotland

OSU London deals with cases from the South East, East of England and London


Resources/reference

Access to Work: Changes in Access to Work policy Oct 2010

Direct Gov: Access to Work, practical help at work

Direct Gov: Access to Work, contact centres

Equality and Human Right Commission:  Access to Work:

Standard / Reasonable Equipment List, the document lists examples of items that should be considered as standard equipment and so cannot be funded by Access to Work. The list is not intended to be exhaustive, download

Royal National Institute of Blind People: Access to Work