Access to Work is an important programme that supports many people to start and stay in work. We are committed to ensuring it can respond to demand. That is why we announced in May that we would recruit and train 480 additional staff to speed up decisions and tackle the existing backlog by September 2027. That is a 72.5% increase to the existing 658 staff already working on Access to Work.

Access to Work is funded within DWP’s Departmental Expenditure Limit (DEL) to support effective management of expenditure. Annually Managed Expenditure (AME) is generally reserved for spending that is particularly volatile or cannot reasonably be managed within departmental DEL budgets.

In 2018, the Department commissioned NatCen, an independent social research organisation, to explore the feasibility of evaluating the impact of Access to Work: ‘Feasibility of evaluating the impact of the Access to Work programme’.

The Department has also published several qualitative research reports on the scheme, most recently ‘Journeys to Access to Work’ published in June 2026.

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

Access to Work applications are processed and recorded at the individual applicant level, as grants are awarded to individuals rather than employers.

The Department is unable to extract data on the number of employers that could be affected by delays. Finding this information would require a manual review of individual records, which would incur disproportionate cost.

The Department recognises that delays in Access to Work decisions can impact both employees and their employers.

As set out in the Department’s press release of 19 May 2026, we have committed to recruiting nearly 500 additional staff, who will receive extensive training to handle complex applications. These measures will improve processing times and support our plan to clear the backlog by September 2027.

When Access to Work (AtW) customers are notified, in writing, at the outset of their award we explain the support offer and provide a defined award length, of up to 3 years. Customers who receive on-going support are invited to renew their award. This is done 12 weeks before it is due to end.

On receipt of a renewal application Customers support requirements are reassessed in line with AtW Policy, to determine a new award and length. This may mean that some renewed awards may be different to previous the one.

We are currently processing renewal applications as received, with decision outcomes made within 4 weeks and customers are notified immediately, in line with the 25-working day target. Decisions on Access to Work awards are issued in writing and set out the support agreed and the period of the award. Where an award is changed or withdrawn, customers are notified of the decision and the reasons for it.

Our assessment is that, both the timescale for customers to seek a renewal award and the time to process this request are adequate.

We are committed to ensuring customers receive timely support. Applications from those due to start work within four weeks, as well as renewals for existing grants, are prioritised to minimise disruption and support people to remain in employment. Feedback from customers continues to inform improvements, helping to ensure the scheme reflects the realities of the modern workplace.

As set out in the Department’s press release of 19 May 2026, we are recruiting nearly 500 additional staff, supported by extensive training, to further enhance delivery. These measures will strengthen processing times and support plans to clear the backlog by September 2027.

We continue to engage closely with stakeholders to understand the evolving needs of disabled people. This engagement is shaping improvements to ensure Access to Work remains a responsive and effective scheme, supporting more people to start and stay in work.

Access to Work awards are made on the basis of a customer’s work-related needs, rather than their disability or health condition alone. Those needs can change over time, even where the customer’s condition has not changed. This may be because the customer’s role, workplace, working pattern or employer arrangements have changed, or because new solutions or technologies are available that can meet the customer’s needs in a different way. For this reason, support is reassessed at renewal to ensure it remains appropriate to the customer’s current work circumstances.

DWP recognises that while customers greatly value the support provided by the Access to Work scheme, they also have concerns about the scheme’s timeliness, consistency and appreciation of the complex barriers faced by people with disabilities in a modern workplace. The Department is addressing these points in order to deliver an improved scheme that will better help disabled people start and stay in work.

Efforts undertaken by the Department to achieve this include the recruitment of 480 additional staff to help reduce the Access to Work backlog by September 2027. These members of staff will receive extensive training to support them to handle complex applications. In addition, the Department is continuing to engage with a range of stakeholders to develop a richer understanding of the challenges disabled people face. The feedback from this engagement will be used to shape improvements to the scheme that better reflect the current needs of customers. Any improvements to Access to Work will be announced in advance of their implementation.

We have already taken steps to improve the Access to Work scheme, committing to recruiting and training nearly 500 additional staff. Recruitment has already started. New case managers will receive extensive training to handle complex applications with confidence.

We have engaged in extensive discussion with a wide range of stakeholders to develop a richer understanding of the challenges disabled people face and to make sure the needs of customers are met. The feedback from this engagement will be used to shape improvements to the scheme that better reflect the current needs of customers.

The Department regularly reviews schemes such as Access to Work to ensure we provide the best service to customers. Any improvements to Access to Work will be announced in advance of their implementation.

Enabling support and replacement support may be provided by a Support Worker job aide when a customer is unable to do part or all of their job because of their disability, illness or health condition.

If a customer is performing the job role, making decisions, and instructing the Support Worker this is deemed to be enabling. In cases where enabling support from a Support Worker job aide is awarded to a customer, this is up to a maximum of 100% of the customer’s contracted hours.

If a customer is not performing the job role, making decisions, and instructing the Support Worker, this is deemed to be replacement. Case Managers must identify the tasks the Support Worker job aide will do and decide how many hours can be supported. A maximum of 20% of the customer’s contracted hours can be supported by the Support Worker job aide.

More information can be found on the Access to Work Staff Guide.

Access to Work case managers assess applications in line with the Department’s published Access to Work: staff guide - GOV.UK, available on GOV.UK. This guidance provides the framework for assessing applications and determining entitlement to Access to Work support.

The guidance was last updated on 18 June 2026.

By “appropriate transition” we mean that once the design of these improvements has been finalised, after incorporating feedback from stakeholders, they will be announced before they are implemented, helping to ensure customers are aware of any changes that may affect them.

The Department is making improvements to the Access to Work scheme to improve the help it gives disabled people to start and stay in work. To manage these improvements, we have engaged in extensive discussion with stakeholders to make sure the needs of customers are met.

We have already begun taking steps to improve the scheme, committing to recruiting and training nearly 500 additional staff to work on Access to Work. Recruitment has already begun, and new case managers will receive extensive training to handle complex applications with confidence. We also introduced a temporary dedicated Triage Team to look at cases prior to them being allocated to a Case Manager as well as a dedicated Change of Circumstances Team which has resulted in faster case resolution, reduced handling times and more consistent decision-making.

Work has commenced to align the communication processes so that Complaints and Reconsideration requests are aligned to wider DWP services, and we have strengthened the conversation between employer and employee around reasonable adjustments and removed routine email communication to ensure cases are dealt with efficiently and securely, so that contact is made within a set timeframe and decision outcomes are communicated timely.

The announcement delivered on 19 May set out our commitment to deliver an Access to Work that is efficient, is not prone to delay and can meet new levels of demand. It will help to restore confidence in the capability of the Scheme to award the right support at the right time and sets a pathway towards further improvements.

Access to Work support is tailored to the individual's needs, following case manager conversations with the individual and the employers, supporting workplace adjustments beyond what would normally be expected from an employer.

Access to Work is an important programme that supports many people and we are committed to getting the reforms to it right. Reform in this area is complex. We are keen to ensure the system remains fair, and sustainable and changes must be carefully designed to deliver real improvements. We have taken the time needed to consult widely, collaborate and gather evidence from disabled people, employers and representative bodies.

We will provide an update via the Department’s Annual Report and Accounts for 2026/27.

As at 19 May 2026, there were 658 full-time equivalent (FTE) staff engaged in delivering the Access to Work scheme. This represents an increase of 32.29 FTE compared with 625.71 FTE staff at the end of May 2025.

The Department keeps staffing levels under review and recognises that resourcing levels can affect processing times. To address this, recruitment is underway to increase capacity, which will support the clearance of outstanding applications, and improve processing times.

Huge recruitment boost to tackle backlog in vital disability work scheme - GOV.UK.

The information requested is not held centrally and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

Departmental allocations and spend are published annually in the Annual Reports and Accounts.

Disabled people and people with health conditions are a diverse group so access to the right work and health support, in the right place, at the right time, is key. DWP has a range of specialist initiatives to support individuals to stay in work and get back into work, including those that join up employment and health systems. Measures include support from Work Coaches and Disability Employment Advisers in Jobcentres and Access to Work grants, as well as joining up health and employment support around the individual through WorkWell and Connect to Work.

In Northern Ireland, health, skills, careers and employment support are transferred matters. My officials work closely with those in the Northern Ireland Executive, sharing best practice in regard to providing employment support to disabled people.

Reforms are essential to ensure a better service for customers, to help disabled people start and stay in work, including blind and visually impaired people. We are reviewing all aspects of the Access to Work scheme, utilising the outcomes of the Green Paper consultation, the Collaboration Committees, and engagement with key internal and external stakeholders to inform its future direction.

We have committed to recruiting and training an additional 480 case staff to process the higher volume of applications, to join the 658 staff already working on Access to Work. Recruitment has already begun, and new case managers will receive extensive training to handle complex applications with confidence. This is to ensure disabled people, and people with health conditions, including those that are blind and visually impaired, can receive timely support to secure and remain in employment.

Access to Work (AtW) is an important programme that supports thousands of people to remain in work, and whilst we acknowledge the scheme needs improvements, change in this area is complex and we are committed to getting it right.

We are keen to ensure the system remains fair, and sustainable and changes must be carefully designed to ensure they deliver real improvements. We are continuing to refine policy options, and we will announce next steps when the policy, evidence, and delivery plans are developed.

We have already begun taking steps to improve the scheme, committing to recruiting and training an additional 480 case staff to process the higher volume of applications, to join the 658 staff already working on Access to Work. Recruitment has already begun, and new case managers will receive extensive training to handle complex applications with confidence.

The announcement delivered on 19 May set out our commitment to deliver an AtW that is timely, efficient, and can meet new levels of demand. It will help to restore confidence in the capability of the Scheme to award the right support at the right time and sets a pathway towards further improvements.