This month, the National Audit Office (NAO) published a report on the Access to Work Scheme, run by the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP)

The investigation was to provide transparency over the DWP’s operation of Access to Work (ATW)  and inform public debate about the future of the scheme.

The report covers:

• The purpose of the Access to Work scheme
• The take-up of the scheme
• How the DWP is managing the increased take-up of the scheme

The findings of the report highlight some of our concerns about how the DWP is operating the ATW scheme and how it needs urgent investment and reform.  The findings will feed into Graeae’s submission to the Public Accounts Inquiry about our hopes for the future of the scheme.

You can read the report here.

You can download a visual guide of the report below.

When it works, Access to Work is a vital lifeline for Disabled professionals in the workplace. It levels the playing field in a way no other scheme can.

It is currently not working as it should, in part due to major changes to the scheme.

Changes and Updates to Access to Work

• The current wait time for individuals employed by a business or an organisation is 37.5 weeks, or about 9 months.
• The current wait time for freelancers or self-employed individuals is 67.5 weeks, or nearly 16 months.
• If you are currently receiving an award, you must have a OneGov account to submit your claim. This means you may need to upload additional identification documents.
• There is no longer a formal complaints email address. All complaints have to be made by telephone or by using a RELAY service to call their general contact line.

We know many members of our community are concerned about these changes and are worried about the impact on their Access to Work. At Graeae, we are also concerned and want to help support our wider community as much as possible.

What are the solutions?

We want to reiterate that we are passionate that Access to Work is a vital scheme for our community, but changes must be made to make it functional.

We believe these issues can and must be solved, so we are calling for:

• Transparent communication: Many Access to Work service users have reported having their award cut without prior notification and explanation. There must be more consultation around the nuance of Deafness, Disability, neurodivergence, Learning Disabilities, and chronic illness.
• Better investment in the scheme: There is currently a cap on the amount of funds an individual can receive, which leads to people having to turn down work and projects. These projects directly inject money into the economy and allow recipients to continue to grow their own careers.
• Wait times down to 12 weeks: The current waiting times mean people are forced to turn down work as they cannot self-fund for the access tools that are required to do their job.
• Significantly improve the experience for self-employed and freelance workers: Currently, the wait times are too long for self-employed workers, who do not have the infrastructure of an organisation or corporation to support or subsidise their access requirements.
• Accessible complaints process: Access to Work recently removed the option to complain via email. Instead, users must call in to make a complaint or use a RELAY service to call on their behalf. Phone calls are inaccessible to many people, this also means there is no paper trail when a complaint is made over the phone.

Did you know that the government is seeking feedback about your experience with Access to Work?

You can submit your experience related to access to work until midnight on 23 February. You can submit it via an online form.

There are a few reasons you may want to submit your feedback:

• You might know about the topic because of the work that you do.
• You might have researched or studied it.
• You might understand something because you’ve got personal experience of it, like using health services or claiming benefits.

After the committee gathers this feedback, there will be a meeting on 12th March.

At that meeting:

• The Public Accounts Committee will present its findings to some representatives from the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP).
• They will ask the DWP representatives some questions based on their findings.
• The meeting should be available to watch online. We will keep you updated on this.

The DWP representatives include:

• Sir Peter Schofield KCB, Permanent Secretary at Department of Work and Pensions
• Neil Couling CB CBE, Director General at DWP Services and Fraud
• Helga Swidenbank, Director of Accessibility and Disputes at Department of Work and Pensions
• Bill Thorpe, Deputy Director at Department for Work and Pensions

They have launched this inquiry because:

• The National Audit Office (NAO) is looking at challenges in the operation of Access to Work.
• There has been an increase in spending by Access to Work.
• There has been an increase in the number of Access to Work applications.
• There is currently a large backlog of applications, leading to very long wait times for users of the service.

Your submission should be:

• Under 3,000 words.
• If it is over 3,000 words, you must include a short summary of your evidence.
• The evidence should be submitted as a Word, ODF, or RTF document.
• Your submission should contain no logos.
• The file should be under 25 MB.
• If this form of submission is not accessible for you, you can contact the Public Accounts Committee via email: pubaccom@parliament.uk for alternative formats.

How should I introduce myself if I want to remain anonymous?

• We suggest you use the following example and swap in what best describes you:
• To whom it may concern, I am a Disabled freelance artist who uses Access to Work, and I wish to remain anonymous.
• To whom it may concern, I represent a Disabled artist who uses Access to Work who wishes to remain anonymous.

How to submit your evidence:

• You will be asked if you are submitting as an individual, a group of individuals, an organisation, or a group of organisations.
• If you are submitting only your experience, you will want to submit as an individual. This will be the case for most people.
• You will then be asked to provide your name, employment details, and contact details. You do not have to share your first name, employment details, or your phone number if you do not feel comfortable doing so.
• You will then be asked to upload a file of your evidence.
• You will then be asked if you want your submission to remain anonymous. If you would like to, you can tick that box.
• You will also be asked to tick a box that says you have read the guidance on written submissions.
• You will then be able to submit your evidence.

What happens after you submit your evidence?

• Your evidence will be read by the Public Accounts Committee.
• Your evidence may be published online.
• If it is published, it will be available to the public forever.
• You can ask to keep your information anonymous, meaning your name will not be shared.

The government has set out 10 tips to help you write your evidence.

• Keep your evidence short and to the point.
• Write in plain English and explain any technical terms.
• Use section headings and numbered paragraphs.
• We can’t accept evidence that has already been published, or that is intended to be published elsewhere, but you can quote from or refer to published material.
• Include factual information you think the Committee will find useful, particularly if it comes from you or your organisation’s own knowledge, work or research.
• Set out the actions you would like Government or others to take, and explain why these actions would improve things.
• Include your thoughts about the most important questions that the Committee should ask the Government.
• Think about what you or your organisation can bring to the debate that others might not. What is your unique perspective or expertise?
• Send us your evidence as early as you can—this gives the Committee more time to take it into account.
• Re-read all the information on this page to make sure your evidence meets our requirements and doesn’t include any material that might cause us to reject it.