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The Access to Work Grant is a programme initiated by the UK Government that’s aimed at helping people who require specific support to take up or remain in work. It’s an important part of making sure that everybody who works has the tools and the frameworks in place to make sure that they’re able to do their job to the best of their ability, and they’re not going to struggle for want of anything. There are, however, a few things that people often get confused about when it comes to the programme – questions like ‘do I fit the criteria’ and ‘what help can I actually get?’ are quite common, and when faced with big queries like this, people can simply give up on the application and assume it’s not for them.
But many thousands of working people in the UK claim the Access to Work Grant in one form or the other, and it’s a vital part of the modern working landscape. So today we’re taking a look at some of those common misconceptions that surround the programme, and what the truth is – could you benefit from some workplace support under the AtW Grant?
MYTH: You have to start working before applying for the Access to Work Grant.
Completely false! You can apply as soon as you get a job offer letter, a job start date, or even just a letter confirming your interview.
MYTH: You have to be working to claim to Access to Work Grant.
Wrong again! It’s open to people who are in traditional paid employment, that’s true – but it’s also open to those who are self-employed, apprentices, trainees, supported interns, people doing self-directed work experience, people on JobCentre Plus promoted work trials, and even people going to a job interview.
You can’t, however, claim it for voluntary work.
MYTH: So… it’s made in the form of a payment, direct to you?
Nope! The way it works is like a reimbursement- your employer purchases the materials or makes the relevant adjustments, and then the Access to Work scheme will pay them back.
MYTH: It’s only for people with physical disabilities.
This is another one that just simply isn’t true – whilst it’s accurate to say that you can get help if you’re physically disabled, support is also accessible for people with neurodiversities, mental health concerns and all kinds of other scenarios that would reasonably impact your ability to work. It also covers you for disabilities that you weren’t aware of before you started working – for example, finding out that your eyesight is affected by computer screens when you start in a computer-heavy role, but you hadn’t been previously aware of the problem.
The Access to Work scheme also is useful for assessing whether your needs come under the Reasonable Adjustments legislation – these are changes that the scheme doesn’t support, that your employer is solely responsible for changing. These can include:
- Altering the recruitment process to make sure a candidate can be considered
- Doing things another way- such as allowing somebody with anxiety to have their own desk instead of hotdesking
- Making physical changes to the workplace, like installing ramps for wheelchair users or audio-visual fire alarms for workers with hearing impairments
- Changing workspace procedure – this could be letting a disabled person work from the ground floor if they’re in a wheelchair and don’t want to deal with the hassle of lifts, for example.
- Changes made to equipment, for example providing specialist keyboard for workers with arthritis or carpal tunnel syndrome
- Allowing employees who become disabled to make a phased return to work, including flexible hours or part-time working
- Offering employees training opportunities, recreation and refreshment facilities
MYTH: All the support you can get is technology-based.
This one’s a big myth! There are lots of different forms of support open to you under the Access to Work Grant, including (but not limited to)…
- Specialist equipment (or alterations to existing equipment) – this can be anything from desks and chairs to adaptions to vehicles, technology or environments
- Hardware and software
- A support worker, such as a reader to help somebody with visual impairment or dyslexia, or a communicator for somebody with hearing impairment
- A specialist job coach for people with learning difficulties
- A communicator, advocate or BSL interpreter for a job interview
- Help towards Taxi or Uber fares if you can’t use public transport to get to work
- PPE for your support workers, if you employ them yourself
- Disability awareness training for your colleagues and co-workers
- The cost of moving equipment if you change your location or your job
You can also get access to free and confidential Mental Health Support Service – it’s available to anybody with a mental health condition who’s eligible for support under the Access to Work Grant, and it offers
- Work-focused mental health support that’s tailored to an individual’s needs for up to a period of nine months
- A personal assessment of your needs and the generation of a suitable coping strategy that could help you in your role
- A personalised support plan, which lays out all the steps involved in helping you remain in or get ready for the work you do
- Ideas for how to adjust the workplace, procedure or working practice to make it easier for you to work
MYTH: But it’s not really relevant now that I’m a home worker…
Many of us have been working from home due to Covid-19 restrictions, and many of us look set to do so for the foreseeable future- remote working is up, and a lot of people actually prefer it. Covid-19 has made some changes to what you can claim for under the Access to Work Grant, and they’re worth noting even if you’re working from home: you can find a comprehensive list of what’s new on the government’s Access to Work Fact Sheet here.
MYTH: It’s not worth it – you can’t fund the support you really need.
This isn’t true in most cases. There’s no set amount for an Access to Work Grant, and how much you get will depend on your specific case. The grant will only cover what you need to help you stay in work, and you can’t apply for support with living costs or home support, but will pay for things like travel to work, tech support, most accessibility adjustments and special software, as well as a whole range of other things. There is an annual cap on the scheme, which is currently set at £60,700 for any one individual – the best way to find out what kind of support funding you or your employer could receive is to apply for the scheme directly via the Gov.UK portal.
MYTH: It’s available to everybody!
We might be cheating on this one – it’s not technically a myth, but it’s also not strictly true either. It's available to most people - if you’re living in Northern Ireland, your system is a little different, although it functions in a similar way, and you can find out more at NI Direct Government Services.
It’s also not currently available in the Channel Islands, or in the Isle of Man. It’s worth noting too that you can’t claim it if you’re under 16, or if you’re in receipt of certain benefits.
Wait – what benefits are those?
It’s fairly simple – you can still get help from the Access to Work scheme if you’re on Universal Credit, Jobseeker’s Allowance or Income Support, all you have to do is be working more than one hour a week. It’s slightly more complex if you’re in receipt of Employment and Support Allowance - with that particular benefit, you have to be classed as doing ‘permitted work’, which is only classed as the following:
- You earn up to £143 a week
- You work less than 16 hours (960 minutes) a week
- It’s been agreed with your work coach
So… How do I apply?
It’s a piece of cake, really. Just visit https://www.gov.uk/access-to-work to start your application, check your eligibility and more! Some people find it helpful to liaise with their employer as they do this, or request guidance from company HR, and some people find it easier to work with their carers or support personnel.
For people who might not want to or be able to apply online, there are other, phone-based services too- you can call on…
- Telephone: 0800 121 7479
- Textphone: 0800 121 7579
- Or via Relay UK (if you cannot hear or speak on the phone): 18001 then 0800 121 7479
The Access to Work Grant is an important part of making sure that the world of work is changing alongside the needs of our diverse workforce. It’s also instrumental in ensuring that people aren’t discriminated against in their job roles or applications due to what unscrupulous employers could perceive as extra costs involved in hiring somebody with physical disabilities or neurodiversities. It’s important that people who work are being supported in their roles, whatever they might be, and that they feel like they’ve got the power to work just as much as everybody else - and that learning, moving and thinking differently doesn’t mean that you can’t have a wonderful and fulfilling work experience.