Overview
- Access to Work is a publicly funded employment support scheme that provides grants of up to £60,700 to help disabled people start or stay in work.
- It can provide practical and financial support for people who have a disability or long term physical or mental health condition.
- The scheme was updated on 29th September 2020 to confirm that employees affected by the COVID-19 outbreak may be able to get help with working from home, in the workplace, or a combination of both.
- If employees cannot use public transport safely because of their disability or health condition, and their doctor or healthcare professional supports this, funding may be available for extra travel costs.
- A link to the full guidance is here – Access to Work factsheet for employers
Support available
- An employee can get help paying for support they may need because of their disability or long term health condition, for example:
- aid and equipment in the workplace
- adapting equipment to make it easier for them to use
- money towards any extra travel costs to and from work if they can’t use available public transport
- money towards any extra travel costs for travel costs within work
- an interpreter or other support at a job interview where there are difficulties in communicating
- a wide variety of support workers
- the Access to Work Mental Health Support Service
- If your staff member has a mental health condition, they will be offered assistance to develop a support plan. This may include steps to support them remaining in or returning to work and suggestions for reasonable adjustments in the workplace.
- flexible working patterns to accommodate changes in mood and impact of medication
- providing a mentor to give additional support at work
- arranging additional time to complete certain tasks
- providing additional training
- regular meetings between you and your employee to talk about their concerns
- a phased return to work, such as reduced hours or less days
- Access to Work does not provide the support itself, but provides a grant to reimburse the agreed cost of the support that is needed.
Cost
- As an employer, you may have to share the cost with Access to Work if the person has been working for you for more than 6 weeks when they apply for Access to Work.
You will only have to share the cost for:
- special aids and equipment
- adaptations to premises or equipment
- Cost share does not apply to self-employed applicants or to the Mental Health Support Service.
- When cost sharing applies, Access to Work will refund up to 80% of the approved costs between a threshold (based on the number of employees – maximum £1,000) and £10,000. As the employer, you will contribute 100% of costs up to the threshold level and 20% of the costs between the threshold and £10,000.
- Any balance over £10,000 will normally be paid by Access to Work
How to claim
- Online at www.gov.uk/access-to-work
- Phoning Jobcentre Plus on 0800 121 7479
