Written question asked by Lord Blunkett (Labour) on Friday, 5 November 2010, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 11 November 2010. It was answered by Maria Miller (Conservative) on Thursday, 11 November 2010 on behalf of the Department for Work and Pensions.

Access to Work Programme

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 1 November 2010, Official Report, column 558W, on the Access to Work programme, when he expects to (a) set programme budgets for the period to 2014-15 and (b) announce any change to the (i) amounts available and (ii) extent of availability to disabled people under the Access to Work programme.

Answer: Following the spending review settlement we are now scrutinising all aspects of departmental expenditure, to ensure that we deliver the most effective range of services possible at the best value for money. Access to Work will be part of this. Budgets for directly delivered programmes such as Access to Work are subject to in-year review and it is not possible to specify in advance the amounts that will be spent. Information on spend is however available after the end of a financial year.In the year 2009-10 the Access to Work programme spent £98 million and helped over 37,000 disabled people to stay in work, and we are on course to help even more disabled people in 2010-11.The coalition agreement set out our commitment to Access to Work, including plans to reform the programme so disabled people can apply for jobs with funding already secured for any adaptations and equipment they will need and I expect to make an announcement about this shortly.

Secondary information

Type: Written question
Reference: 23121; 518 c422W
Session: 2010-12
Related items: Access to Work Programme
Friday, 19 November 2010
Written questions
House of Commons; Access to Work Programme
Monday, 1 November 2010
Written questions
House of Commons
Subjects: Access to work programme
Link: View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk