Access to Work, what it covers and how UK employers use it

A government grant scheme that funds workplace adjustments and some training for disabled employees. Underused, worth knowing about, but narrower than the other funding routes.

title: Access to Work, what it covers and how UK employers use it summary: A government grant scheme that funds workplace adjustments and some training for disabled employees. Underused, worth knowing about, but narrower than the other funding routes. date: 2026-07-05

Access to Work is the government grant scheme that helps disabled employees and employees with physical or mental health conditions, stay in work or move into it. It sits under the Department for Work and Pensions and has been running in various forms since 1994. It is one of the more useful pieces of support available to UK employers with disabled staff and one of the more consistently underused.

This guide sits in the funding series for completeness rather than because Access to Work fits neatly alongside the apprenticeship levy or Skills Bootcamps. Those schemes are training-focused. Access to Work is a workplace adjustments scheme that includes some training within its scope. If you have or are hiring an employee with a disability or health condition, it is worth understanding regardless.

What Access to Work covers

The grant pays for practical support that helps a disabled person start work, stay in work or move into self-employment. That includes:

• Workplace equipment and adaptations. Assistive technology, specialist chairs, screen readers, ergonomic setups, hearing loops.
• Support workers and job coaches. Someone to help the employee do their job, whether that is a British Sign Language interpreter, a personal assistant, a workplace mentor or a specialist coach.
• Travel to and from work where public transport isn't accessible. Taxis, car adaptations, mileage allowances.
• Communication support at job interviews for candidates who need it.
• Mental health support programmes. Delivered through two DWP-appointed providers, Able Futures and Maximus.
• Disability awareness training for colleagues. This is the training element that puts Access to Work into this guide series.

Access to Work does not cover general training, business start-up costs, reasonable adjustments the employer is already legally required to make under the Equality Act 2010, or costs incurred before the application was submitted.

How the funding works

There is no set amount. Grants are awarded based on individual circumstances following an Access to Work assessment. Awards are typically reviewed every three years or when the employee's role or condition changes materially.

Grants are usually paid to the employee, who then either provides the equipment or service themselves and claims back, or has the employer provide it and pass the invoice through. In practice, most workplace equipment is bought by the employer and reimbursed by Access to Work up to the awarded amount.

Employer contribution is expected for some of the cost, particularly for larger employers and for equipment that would be considered a reasonable adjustment under the Equality Act. Smaller employers are usually asked for a smaller contribution or none at all. The assessor confirms the split as part of the award.

The grant does not affect the employee's other benefits and does not need to be repaid.

Who can apply

The employee applies, not the employer. Applications go through GOV.UK or the Access to Work helpline. To be eligible, the employee needs to:

• Be aged 16 or over
• Live and work in England, Scotland or Wales
• Have a disability or physical or mental health condition that affects their work
• Have a paid job or written offer of employment starting within six weeks

The scheme does not run in Northern Ireland (there is a separate service through the Department for Communities), the Isle of Man or the Channel Islands.

Self-employed applicants are also eligible, subject to the business being viable and the applicant meeting the paid work threshold.

What the employer's role is

Employers can't apply on behalf of an employee. What employers can do is:

• Support the employee in preparing their application. The assessor will contact the employer as part of the process, so having someone in the business who understands the request helps.
• Provide equipment or services and reclaim the cost, if that model works better than the employee doing it directly.
• Meet the required employer contribution to the cost.
• Implement the recommended adjustments once the award is confirmed.

For businesses that haven't used Access to Work before, the assessment process can feel unfamiliar. Assessors will typically visit the workplace, understand the role and the difficulties the employee experiences, and propose a package of adjustments and support. The whole process from application to award can take some weeks in normal circumstances and longer during backlogs.

The delay problem

Access to Work is currently experiencing significant application delays. Reports from charities and support organisations point to backlogs stretching across multiple months for some applications and renewals. The DWP has acknowledged the pressure.

For an employee waiting for support, that means the application should go in as early as possible, ideally as soon as a job offer is made rather than at the point of start. For an employer, it means being ready to accommodate the employee informally while the formal support is being processed, and being patient with the timelines rather than assuming the scheme has stalled.

The delays are not a reason to skip applying. The support is still there and awards are still being made. The timing is just slower than it was.

When Access to Work is the right route

Access to Work is worth pursuing whenever an employee has a disability or health condition that affects how they work, and where the support needed goes beyond what the employer would reasonably provide as a matter of course. That covers a wide range, from a screen reader for a visually impaired analyst to job coaching for an autistic professional in a new role to travel support for someone whose condition prevents them driving.

The training elements are narrow but real. Disability awareness training for colleagues is often part of a package and is one of the more useful bits of the scheme for building an inclusive workplace culture. Job coaching, which sits in the grey area between training and support, can be transformative for employees whose condition affects executive function or workplace communication.

For general workforce training, Access to Work is not the answer. Look at the apprenticeship levy, Skills Bootcamps or direct commissioning of independent trainers instead.

Where to look next

Applications and full guidance are at GOV.UK Access to Work. Employers wanting to prepare in advance can read the Access to Work guidance for employers on the same site.

For the wider funding picture, our levy guide, Growth Hubs guide and Skills Bootcamps guide cover the other main routes.

For independent UK trainers and coaches, including those specialising in inclusion, mental health and workplace wellbeing, our category pages let you browse by subject.