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Written question asked by James McMurdock (Independent (affiliation)) on Friday, 29 May 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 2 June 2026. It was answered by Stephen Timms (Labour) on Tuesday, 14 July 2026 on behalf of the Department for Work and Pensions.

Access to Work Scheme: Standards

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to his Department’s press release entitled Huge recruitment boost to tackle backlog in vital disability work scheme, published on 19 May 2026, what the average number of claims processed per day is by an individual caseworker.

Answer

Since 2021, the Access to Work scheme has successfully adapted to significant changes in demand. Post COVID operating conditions have led to a broader and more complex mix of customer cases, including increased applications involving multiple adjustments, fluctuating conditions, and support for customers with mental health and neurodiverse needs.

The average number of claims processed by an individual Access to Work Case Manager is around two award decisions per day whilst also working daily to progress cases on their caseload. The Department is committed to ensuring customers receive timely support and has taken decisive steps to strengthen delivery. We are in the process of recruiting more staff to process claims and support the clearance of the backlog along with having introduced comprehensive training to ensure decisions are consistent and aligned with policy intent. These measures will strengthen processing times and support plans to clear the backlog by September 2027

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
4691
Session
2026-27
Subjects
Standards Access to work programme
Contains statistics
Yes
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk