Disability and the 'Access to Work' scheme: What help is available?
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) Almost everyone will experience disability at some point in their life, either temporarily or permanently. An estimated 1.3 billion people (16% of the global population) currently experience significant disability.
This number is increasing due in part to an ageing population and an increase in the prevalence of noncommunicable diseases. WHO state that disability results from the interaction between individuals with health conditions, with personal and environmental factors including negative attitudes, inaccessible transportation and public buildings and limited social support.
Inaccessible environments create barriers that often hinder the full and effective participation of a person with a disability in society on an equal basis with others.
Your rights as an employee with a disability
The Equality Act 2010 defines disability as 'a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on the ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities'. Some disabilities may be transient or may only become apparent in the workplace. An example of this might be where eyesight is affected by a computer screen, but the individual was unaware of this before working in that environment.
The Equality Act 2010 places a duty on an employer to make reasonable adjustments for disabled employees. Reasonable adjustments may include letting a wheelchair user work on the ground floor, allowing someone with social anxiety to have their own desk instead of hot desking or providing a special keyboard if they have Arthritis. Allowing employees with physical or mental impairment to make a phased return to work including flexible hours or lighter duties is also considered a reasonable adjustment.
Items which are regarded as standard equipment, standard business costs or standard health and safety requirements for example, any item which would normally be needed to do the job, whether a person is disabled or not should be provided by the employer. The Access to Work Scheme should also be considered to establish if additional support can be provided to facilitate a safe and successful return to the workplace following a work-related incident.
What is the Access to Work Scheme?
Access to Work is a discretionary Government funded grant scheme that provides personalised support to disabled people. It covers a wide range of interventions beyond ‘reasonable adjustments’ associated with overcoming work-related barriers resulting from disability or a health condition. Support may be provided via a grant to help to cover the cost of practical support with work, assistance with managing mental health at work or money to pay for communication support at a job interview.
The support package is agreed based on individual need but in general the individual must have a physical or mental health condition or disability that requires support to complete work related activities or get to and from the workplace. It does not need to be a permanent disability, for example an individual recovering from a broken leg or someone who is being treated for anxiety and depression would be considered eligible. It is available to those aged 16 and over and is for those in paid employment, full or part time or those who are about to start or return to the workplace within the next twelve weeks. It is not available to individuals who are employed on a voluntary basis.
What help is available?
Funding can be used to make adaptations to the workplace to improve accessibility or the purchase of specialist equipment and assistive software to aid work related activities. Funding could also be used to make adaptations to a vehicle or meet the cost of travelling to and from work in the form of taxi fares, if unable to use public transport. It can also be used to appoint a Support Worker to act as a travel buddy, a BSL interpreter or a job coach.
The funding you can receive
The Access to Work Scheme is not means tested, so while the individual must be in paid employment to be eligible, the level of income is irrelevant. If an Access to Work grant is awarded it will not affect any other benefits and it does not need to be paid back. On occasion the employer may need to pay some costs up front and claim them back later.
There is no set amount for an Access to Work grant. The amount awarded depends on the specific case. The grant will only cover the support needed to allow the individual to stay in work or in self-employment.
There is an annual cap on the total amount of support that can be provided under Access to Work; this is currently set at £60,700 (May 2024) but Access to work will pay 100% of the approved costs subject to the cap for travel to and from work, for a support worker/reader or communicator for support at interviews, for those who are unemployed and starting a new job or if the individual has been working for an employer for less than six weeks.
If the individual has been employed for more than six weeks at the time of the index event Access to Work will pay a proportion of the costs of support dependent upon the size of the company.
- Employers with less than 50 staff, Access to Work will pay 80% of the approved costs
- Employers with between 50 and 249 staff will be expected to pay the first £500 and Access to Work will pay 80% of the approved costs up to £10,000
- Large employers with a workforce of more than 250 will be expected to pay the first £1,000 and Access to Work will 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 the cap.
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. If the individual needs the funding, they should continue to get it.
Accessing the scheme
The scheme is available for those living and working in England, Scotland, and Wales. There is a different scheme in Northern Ireland, and it is not available in the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man.
An application can be made via telephone, text phone and British Sign Language (BSL) video relay service or online via the Government site.
Helpful links:
Access to Work information for employers
DWPs Access to Work factsheet, staff guidance and statistics
