Access to Work: What It Pays For and How to Apply

Access to Work is a government grant, run by the Department for Work and Pensions, that helps pay for practical support so a disabled person, or someone with a physical or mental health condition, can start or stay in paid work. It can pay towards specialist equipment, a support worker, extra travel costs if you cannot reasonably use public transport, and a free Mental Health Support Service. It is a grant, not a loan, so you do not pay it back.

You apply online on GOV.UK or by phone. You will need details of your job and workplace, and an adviser will then look at what you need, sometimes with a workplace assessment. It sits alongside your employer's legal duty to make reasonable adjustments rather than replacing it, which is why some things will be paid for by your employer instead. The rest of this page explains each part in plain terms, and where things tend to get stuck.

What Access to Work actually is

Think of it as a fund for the gap between what an employer can reasonably be expected to provide and what you actually need to do the job. A standard chair is the employer's job. A specialist chair because of a spinal condition may be partly or fully covered by Access to Work. A lift from a colleague is a kindness. A taxi to work every day because a condition means you cannot use buses or trains is the sort of extra cost the grant exists for.

It is not a benefit you live on, and it is not means tested in the way most benefits are. It pays for specific support linked to your work. The grant goes towards costs that you or your employer pay out first and then claim back, or in some cases is paid directly. The current rules, including any limits on how much can be awarded, are set out on GOV.UK and do change, so check there rather than relying on anything you read elsewhere, including here.

Who can get it

Broadly, you may be eligible if all of these apply:

• You have a disability, or a physical or mental health condition, that makes it harder to do parts of your job or to get to and from work.
• You are 16 or over.
• You are in paid work, about to start a job, have a job interview, or are self-employed. Some work trials and work experience can also count.
• You live and work in England, Scotland or Wales. Northern Ireland runs its own separate scheme, which is explained on nidirect.

What matters is the effect on your work, not the label. People get support for a very wide range of things: arthritis, sight or hearing loss, long COVID, multiple sclerosis, chronic pain, epilepsy, dyslexia, autism, ADHD, depression, anxiety and many more. You do not have to tell your employer every detail of your health, though for most types of support they will need to be involved in some way.

Many people never apply because they assume they are not disabled enough, or that you have to be on certain benefits. Neither is how it works. If a condition makes work harder, it is worth reading the eligibility page on GOV.UK and applying.

What Access to Work can pay for

Equipment and adaptations

This covers specialist items you need because of your condition, beyond what your employer would provide anyway. Examples include adjustable or supportive seating, sit-stand desks, specialist keyboards and mice, screen reading or magnification software, speech-to-text software, hearing equipment, and adaptations to a vehicle you use for work. It can also include physical changes to a workplace, though larger adaptations often overlap with what an employer should do as a reasonable adjustment.

A support worker or job coach

Some people need another person to help with parts of the job. That might be a British Sign Language interpreter, a note-taker, a reader for someone with sight loss, a job coach for someone learning a new role, or practical help for someone with limited hand function. Access to Work can pay for support worker hours that are linked to your condition.

Travel to and from work

If your condition means you cannot use public transport for all or part of your journey, the grant can help with extra travel costs, such as taxis, or a lift from someone paid to drive you. It can also help with travel within work, for example if your job involves visits and you cannot use public transport for those. It pays the extra cost caused by your condition, not your normal commute.

The Mental Health Support Service

This is a free, confidential service for people with a mental health condition who are in work, or about to be. It offers a period of support from a mental health professional, focusing on coping strategies at work and suggesting adjustments. It is separate from NHS treatment and does not replace it. If you are struggling and need treatment, our guide to getting mental health support in the UK explains the NHS routes, including self-referral to talking therapies.

Communication support at interviews

If you are deaf or have a hearing loss, or another condition that affects communication, Access to Work can help with things like an interpreter at a job interview. Apply as soon as you know about the interview, because arranging this takes time.

What your employer may be expected to pay

Under the Equality Act 2010, employers in England, Scotland and Wales have a duty to make reasonable adjustments for disabled workers. Access to Work will not usually pay for something that counts as a reasonable adjustment the employer should make anyway. Moving your desk nearer the door, changing your hours, allowing a phased return or swapping some duties with a colleague are things an employer does, not things a grant buys.

For equipment, larger employers may be expected to share the cost with Access to Work. Smaller employers are generally asked to contribute less or nothing. The exact rules are on GOV.UK and can change, so check them, and be ready for this conversation with your manager or HR. If you are self-employed, the rules work differently and you will be asked about your business.

It helps to know that Access to Work is often good news for an employer. It can mean a valuable member of staff stays, and a cost they might otherwise face is shared. If your employer seems reluctant, Acas has clear guidance on reasonable adjustments for both sides.

How to apply

1. Get your details together first. You will usually need your workplace address and postcode, the name and contact details of someone at work (often your line manager), and if self-employed, your Unique Taxpayer Reference. Have a clear sense of how your condition affects you at work and what you think would help.
2. Apply online or by phone. The application is on GOV.UK. There is also a phone line and other ways to apply if you cannot use the online form. If you are starting a new job, you can apply before your start date.
3. An adviser contacts you. They will talk through your job, your condition and the barriers you face. This is your chance to be specific.
4. An assessment may be arranged. Not everyone needs one, but for many equipment or support worker requests, a workplace assessment is arranged. More on this below.
5. You get a decision. If approved, you will get a grant letter setting out what is covered and for how long.
6. You or your employer buy the support and claim it back. This is the part people underestimate. Usually the costs are paid first, then claimed using the claim process explained in your letter.

What the assessment involves

The Access to Work assessment is about your job, not about proving how ill you are. An assessor, who may visit or speak to you remotely, looks at the tasks you do, where and how you do them, and what gets in the way. They then recommend support, which Access to Work decides whether to fund.

To get the most from it:

• Describe a bad day, not just an average one. If your condition fluctuates, say so and give examples.
• Break the job into tasks. "I find typing hard" is less useful than "after about twenty minutes of typing my hands ache and I make mistakes, and my job involves several hours of writing reports."
• Mention the journey. If getting to work is the main problem, make sure that is assessed too.
• Say what you have already tried. If a cheaper option has failed, that matters.
• Keep notes of what was discussed and recommended.

Common hold-ups and how to avoid them

Access to Work is genuinely useful. It is also, for many people, slow. Some of the delays are outside your control, but these are the ones you can often head off.

• Missing or wrong employer contact. If the person named does not reply, the application stalls. Tell them it is coming and ask them to respond.
• Waiting until you are struggling. Apply as soon as you know you need help, and before you start a new job if you can.
• Vague requests. Clear, task-based descriptions of what you need get clearer decisions.
• Quotes. For equipment, you may be asked for quotes. Getting these early saves weeks.
• Buying before approval. If you buy something before it is agreed, you may not get the money back. Wait for your grant letter unless you have been told otherwise.
• Claims not submitted. Support worker and travel costs are usually claimed after the event. Keep receipts and timesheets and claim promptly within the deadline in your letter.
• Grants ending. Awards last for a set period. Diary the end date and start the renewal well before it.
• Changing jobs or roles. Your grant is tied to your job. If that changes, tell Access to Work.

If you are moving from education into work and already have adjustments agreed, ask about the Access to Work adjustments passport, which can help you carry information about your needs into a new job. GOV.UK explains who it is for.

Where an occupational therapist fits

Occupational therapists look at how people do everyday tasks, and work is one of the biggest. A private occupational therapist can carry out a workplace or home-working assessment, look at exactly which tasks are hard and why, and write a report with specific, practical recommendations. You can read more about this kind of support on our work and ergonomics page.

Be clear on one point: Access to Work does its own assessment and makes its own decisions. You do not need a private OT report to apply, and having one does not guarantee a particular outcome. Where an independent report helps is in situations like these:

• You are not sure what would actually help, and want an expert view before you apply.
• Your condition is complex or fluctuating, for example fatigue, chronic pain, a neurological condition or a brain injury, and is hard to explain in a short phone call.
• Your employer wants a clear, independent view of reasonable adjustments.
• You are returning to work after illness or injury and need a graded plan. Our guide to vocational rehabilitation and getting back to work covers this in more detail.
• You want written evidence of your needs to share with Access to Work, occupational health or HR. A functional assessment and report sets this out in one place.

An occupational therapist can also suggest strategies that cost nothing: pacing, changing the order of tasks, reorganising a workstation, and planning rest. These often matter as much as any equipment.

Other people lead in other areas. Your GP is the right person for diagnosis, treatment, and fit notes. A physiotherapist leads on rehabilitation of a musculoskeletal injury. Your employer's occupational health service advises on fitness for work and adjustments within your organisation. A Disability Employment Adviser at the Jobcentre can help if you are looking for work. Acas, a trade union or Citizens Advice can help if there is a dispute. If you are thinking of a private assessment, our guide on how to choose a private occupational therapist explains what to check, including HCPC registration.

Frequently asked questions

Does Access to Work affect my benefits?

GOV.UK states that the grant does not affect other benefits you get and you do not have to pay it back. Rules can change, so check the current GOV.UK page if you are on benefits and unsure.

Do I have to tell my employer about my condition?

For most types of support, such as equipment or a support worker at work, Access to Work will need to contact your employer. You can talk to the adviser about what information is shared. The Mental Health Support Service is confidential and is set up so you can use it without the same level of employer involvement; GOV.UK explains how it works.

Can I get Access to Work if I am self-employed?

Yes, self-employed people can apply. You will be asked for your Unique Taxpayer Reference and about your business, and the rules on costs differ from those for employees. Check the GOV.UK guidance before you apply.

Can Access to Work pay for home working equipment?

It can cover specialist equipment you need because of your condition wherever you do the job, including at home if that is where you work. Standard equipment that any worker would need is usually the employer's responsibility.

How long does an application take?

It varies, and many people find it slower than they expected. Apply as early as you can, make sure your employer contact is ready to respond, and keep a note of reference numbers and who you spoke to.

What if I am turned down or disagree with the decision?

Your decision letter should explain how to ask for it to be looked at again. Ask for the reasons in writing, check whether something was misunderstood, and send any extra evidence that clarifies how your condition affects specific tasks at work.

Next steps

If you would like an independent view of what would help you at work, or a clear report to support your Access to Work application or conversations with your employer, see our work and ergonomics or functional assessments and reports pages, or current guide prices, and choose your area below.