What is access to work

Access to Work The Access to Work programme is a government funding scheme run by Jobcentre Plus. It provides financial assistance towards the extra costs of employing someone with a disability. It is available to unemployed, employed and self-employed people and can apply to any job, full-time or part-time, permanent or temporary.

Support available

The type of support available includes:

• A communicator at a job interview for people who are deaf or have a hearing impairment
• A reader at work for someone who is blind or has a visual impairment
• A support worker if someone needs practical help because of their disability, either at work or getting to work
• Adaptations to a vehicle, or help towards taxi fares or other transport costs if someone cannot use public transport to get to work because of their disability
• Equipment (or alterations to existing equipment) necessary because of an individual's disability
• Alterations to premises or a working environment necessary because of a person's disability.

Funding available

The funding available depends on the employment status of the disabled individual at the time of application. For:

• Unemployed people starting a job and all self-employed people - the programme will pay up to 100% of all approved costs
• People changing jobs - the programme will pay up to 100% of all approved costs
• Employed people who have been with the employer for six weeks or longer - Access to Work will not make any contribution to costs below £300. Above this sum, the programme will pay up to 80% of the costs up to £10,000 and up to 100% of the costs above £10,000
• Travel to work - the programme will pay up to 100% of all approved costs irrespective of employment status
• Communicator support at interview - the programme will pay up to 100% of all approved costs irrespective of employment status.
• A support worker - the programme will pay up to 100% of all approved costs irrespective of employment status

Availability:

Access to Work funding is made available for up to three years. A review of an individual's circumstances and support needs will take place if further funding is needed after this time.

Applications for Access to Work must be made by the person with the disability on an application form. Forms are available from Access to Work Business Centres.

In some cases Access to Work solutions may incur a business benefit, for example, if other members of staff use your specialist equipment as part of their own work. In these instances the business benefit costs will be estimated and deducted from the Access to Work costs. The programme will pay a proportion of the remaining amount as described above.

Further information

The Access to Work programme is administered by Jobcentre Plus. To find out more about the programme and how to apply for support, you need to contact your nearest Access to Work Business Centre the details of which are below.

Note: Access to Work funding is not available retrospectively. It will not refund any payments that have already been made towards the cost of reasonable adjustments.

Access to Work Business Centre - London Region

London
Jobcentre Plus
Disability Service Team
Windsor House
185 Ealing Road
Alperton
Middlesex HA0 4LW
Tel: 020 8218 2710
Textphone: 020 8218 2716

Alternatively, contact the Disability Employment Adviser at your local Jobcentre Plus:
Bromley – 020 8465 2662
Beckenham – 020 8918 5900
Orpington – 01689 303 555

Select Jobcentre Plus for further information on the help available for people with a disability.