Access to work for employers

Making an application

Your employee can apply for Access to Work if they need support to get them back to work. This is a self referral process only.

Apply online

The quickest and easiest way to apply for Access to Work is online.

Access to Work

Apply by phone

They can also apply by phoning the Access to Work helpline on:

Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.

Further information

Your employee will be asked what support they need when they apply, Access to Work will also contact you for more information.

When your employee contacts the Access to Work team, they may need:

  • their National Insurance number
  • the workplace address, including postcode
  • the name, email address and work phone number of a workplace contact, for example their manager or yourself -this should not be Occupational Health

After making an application

Assessments

After your employee makes an application for Access to Work, an adviser will contact you and your employee to discuss what help might be available. Your employee may need an assessment of the workplace to assess their needs.

If your employee knows what support is needed, they do not need to have an assessment. An Access to Work adviser will discuss the award with you and your employee to develop a tailored package of support.

If your employee cannot use the telephone, contact the organisation that is arranging the assessment to agree another way to have the assessment. This could be through an online British Sign Language (BSL) interpreting service or an online video service.

If your employee needs to rearrange or cancel an assessment, contact the organisation that has arranged the assessment with your employee.

How much will this cost me?

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.

How much will the grant be for?

Access to Work will consider paying grants of up to 100% for:

  • self-employed people
  • people who have been working for less than 6 weeks when they first apply for Access to Work
  • the Mental Health Support Service
  • support workers
  • additional travel to work and travel in work costs
  • communication support at interviews

The level of grant will depend on:

  • whether the person is employed or self-employed
  • how long they have been in their job
  • the type of help required

What will my share of the costs be?

When cost sharing applies, Access to Work will refund up to 80% of the approved costs between a threshold 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.

The amount of the threshold is determined by the number of employees you have.

Number of employees to amount of threshold:

  • 0 to 49 employees - nil
  • 50 to 249 employees - £500
  • Over 250 employees - £1,000
  • Any balance above £10,000 will normally be met by Access to Work.

If the support also provides a general business benefit, a contribution will be sought in addition to any compulsory cost share.

Claiming for costs

You have 9 months to claim for costs. Once the department has procured the equipment and support, receipts for this need to be sent to Access to Work on their specific claim form which is sent to the manager at the point of application. If you do not complete this within the 9 month period, Access to Work may not refund the costs.

If your employee cannot get you or their support worker to sign the claim for costs, your employee can ask you to send confirmation by email instead. The email should confirm that the costs your employee is claiming for are correct. Your employee will need to print the email and send it to DWP with their claim.

If your employee cannot leave their home or ask someone else to post their claim for costs, they should contact DWP Access to Work adviser and ask if the claim can be sent by email. The DWP Access to Work adviser will advise your employee what they need to do. You can also send this confirmation directly to DWP via email.

If your employees support needs change

If the support your employee needs has changed, for example because they have started to work from home and need extra support, they need to tell Access to Work.

To report a change, your employee needs to contact the Access to Work helpline.

An Access to Work adviser will discuss working from home with you and your employee to understand what support is needed. If they cannot identify the support needed, they will put your employee in touch with a workplace assessor. They will work with you and your employee to recommend how to overcome the in work barriers.

Your employee will need to continue reporting any changes to their circumstances during and after the coronavirus outbreak as the amount of their grant award may be affected.

If your employee needs extra support but have reached or have nearly reached the maximum amount of the grant awarded, they will need to speak to an Access to Work adviser. Your employee can continue to get a grant of up to £65,180 a year. If your employee has not yet spent all the award, an Access to Work adviser can work with them to agree how to spend the rest of the money.