What is the Access to Work grant and who can claim it?

Full answer

Access to Work is one of the most valuable but under-claimed schemes for disabled workers, providing practical and financial support that complements (rather than duplicates) an employer's own reasonable adjustment duties under the Equality Act 2010. **Who can apply** Applicants must be 16 or over, have a disability or health condition that makes it harder to do parts of their job or get to work, and either be in paid work (employed or self-employed), about to start a job or work trial within a set period, or self-employed and running their own business. There is no requirement to already have a diagnosis label for every condition -- the focus is on the practical impact on work. **What the grant can cover** Support can include: specialist equipment or software (e.g. screen readers, ergonomic equipment); a support worker, job coach, or British Sign Language (BSL) interpreter; taxi fares or other travel support if public transport is not accessible for the applicant's condition; mental health support (through a dedicated Access to Work mental health support service); communication support at job interviews; and adaptations to premises or a vehicle used for work. It does not cover statutory reasonable adjustments that an employer is legally required to make and pay for themselves under the Equality Act, such as basic accessible facilities -- Access to Work is intended to fill gaps beyond that baseline. **How the money is paid and cost-sharing** For employees, Access to Work grants are usually paid to the employer or directly to the support provider, and above a certain grant size threshold, the employer may be asked to contribute a percentage towards the cost. For self-employed applicants, the grant is typically paid directly to the individual. There is no fixed cap on the total grant value, but assessments consider cost-effectiveness of the proposed support. **How to apply** Applications are made online or by phone to the Access to Work service, followed by an assessment of needs (sometimes involving a specialist workplace assessment) to identify the most suitable and cost-effective support, after which an approval letter sets out exactly what will be funded and for how long (awards are usually reviewed periodically, particularly for ongoing support like a support worker). **Worked example** A self-employed graphic designer with a visual impairment applies for Access to Work and, following an assessment, is awarded a grant covering specialist screen-magnification software, a higher-specification monitor, and a contribution towards taxi fares for client meetings where public transport routes are not step-free. As a self-employed applicant, the grant is paid directly to her rather than routed through an employer, and she is not required to make any employer-style cost contribution. **Practical tip** Apply as early as possible -- ideally before starting a new job or noticing a role is becoming harder to sustain -- since processing an application and arranging the agreed support can take some weeks, and delays can otherwise put a job or work trial at risk.

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