Access to Work

Why might it be of interest?

If you are disabled, have a mental health condition or have a long-term health condition that impacts on your ability to work; you are aged 16 or over; and live in England then this programme may be able to help you when you have a job.

The grant is intended to support workplace adjustments that go beyond what would normally be expected from an employer through their duty to provide reasonable adjustments under the Equality Act 2010

The term ‘disabled’ has the same meaning as in the Equality Act 2010. This defines disability as ‘a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on [your] ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities’.

Disabled can also include disabilities that only become apparent in the workplace. An example of this might be where you started work and found that your eyesight was affected by computer screens but had not noticed this problem before you started work.

The programme covers a wide range of interventions and it is personal to the disabled person – what might help one person with a disability will not be the same help that another person needs – even if their disabilities seem similar.

The grant is awarded for 3-year periods and provides personalised support and workplace assessments, travel to work, support workers, and specialist aids and equipment. The Scheme also includes the Mental Health Support Service (MHSS) which provides up to 9 months of non-clinical support for people who need help with their wellbeing while in employment.

You might also want to look at our document with links to websites about Reasonable Adjustments – these are not covered by the Access to Work programme.

Scope:  https://www.scope.org.uk/advice-and-support/access-to-work-grant-scheme

Government website:  https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/access-to-work-factsheet/access-to-work-factsheet-for-customers

Disability Rights:  https://www.disabilityrightsuk.org/resources/access-work