The Access to Work grant can have a hugely positive impact on the working lives of neurodiverse and disabled employees across the UK. At ICAW, we are privileged to see the benefits first-hand that this little-known grant can provide to our clients and some of our own employees.

However, the application process and current waiting time for an outcome can prove challenging and daunting for many. At ICAW, our speciality is offering expert guidance and application support to help you maximise this valuable fund.

Read on to find out more about Access to Work, the current waiting time, and the ways ICAW can support you through your Access to Work journey.

What is Access to Work?

Access to Work is a publicly funded employment support programme. It aims to help people with a physical or mental health condition or disability to start or stay in work. Neurodivergence may well meet that threshold, and you don’t need a diagnosis to apply.

The grant scheme can provide support in a range of different ways. It might pay for specialist equipment, transport costs, or a support worker, among other things.

You can find out more about the eligibility criteria and the kind of support the grant covers on the GOV.UK website.

How long will it take?

The time it takes from application to receiving a grant will of course vary depending on a number of factors; including individual needs, response times between applicant and DWP and, of course, application backlog…

As reported by Disability News Service, this year saw the waiting times for Access to Work continue to rise. According to unpublished government data, 25,063 people were still waiting for a decision on their applications in December 2023.

When I called up the Access to Work helpline, on the day of this blog’s writing, the pre-recorded introductory message warned me that ‘the current wait time to review new applications can be up to 24 weeks’.

For someone who has just discovered this apparent well-kept secret grant and is eager to tap into the support it offers, the wait time may feel disheartening. Perhaps the application might feel more daunting.

If this is the case, we at Inclusive Change at Work may be able to help…

So how can ICAW help?

There are a number of ways that Inclusive Change at Work can provide solutions and support to you during your Access to Work journey.

Application

We know that the application process can be challenging. It can be difficult or daunting to know what support you need or what evidence you need to send. With the additional waiting time, an applicant may feel even more pressured to optimise their application.

We can help by…

• Doing it for you. A member of our expert team will take on your application - helping you to identify the support and evidence you need and will complete the form with you. Click here to find out more.

• Looking over your application. One of our team can read-over and recommend any tweaks to your completed application. Contact us here to find out more.

Support work

One of the many resources Access to Work can fund is support work. At ICAW, we have our very own support agency - specialise in supporting disabled and neurodiverse individuals by offering tailored assistance in support work, mentoring, and virtual assistance.

This means we can support you…

• After you receive your grant. Once you have your funding secured you can reach out to us and our team will be ready and waiting to put your support plan in place.

• If you would like to self-fund. If you don’t want to wait for your grant to come through and you would like to self-fund, we would be happy to offer that support to you.

Contact us here to find out more or to start your support journey.

Are you a Manager looking to understand more about Access to Work?

Join our sister company, Inclusive Change’s FREE webinar.