The DWP has provided an update about a scheme that can be worth £4,000 or more in extra support. Senior officials from the department spoke to the Public Accounts Committee about the scheme, which can provide more than £60,000 a year worth of assistance.

The top officials spoke to the MPs about the Access to Work scheme. This is a grant programme providing extra help in the workplace for those with a health condition or disability, to help them do their job.

You can get up to £69,260 a year in grants through the programme, which can pay for aid such as specialist equipment or a support worker. The average grant award is for £4,000 a year, or £10,500 for those who need a support worker, the equivalent of almost £200 a week.

Demand and spending on the scheme have both doubled since the 2018/2019 tax year, with the DWP spending £321million on the programme in 2024/2025. The wait time to have your application dealt with is currently up to 37 weeks.

However, the committee was told the DWP can fast track applications. DWP permanent secretary, Peter Schofield, said: “If you have a job that you are ready to start within four weeks, we prioritise it. If there is some other reason why it needs to be prioritised, we prioritise it.”

The officials said they are making progress in reducing the time it takes to deal with cases. Mr Schofield said one key change they have noted is the type of medical conditions that people are claiming the support for.

Different health conditions

He explained: “What we have seen is not only a doubling of claims but a really dramatic change in the nature of the claims coming in and of the health conditions that we are talking about—more mental health conditions and more conditions around neurodiversity. There is not a standard way of looking at what would be required in terms of reasonable adjustments.”

Reasonable adjustments are changes that the employer is legally bound to provide so a person with a health condition can do their work. This could include providing physical aids or making changes to how you do your work.

Mr Schofield said: “You have to think about each of those conditions individually. They could be fluctuating conditions; they could be conditions that impact in particular circumstances in a different way.

“Obviously, the nature of the workplace has changed dramatically as well. To get this right – to get the right decisions – is a really complex piece of work, and we have got to get it right.”

Who could qualify for Access to Work?

DWP guidance explains that to qualify for Access to Work funding, you need to have “a physical or mental health condition or disability that means you need support to do your job or get to and from work”. You do not need to be diagnosed with a medical condition to apply for the support.

These types of health conditions could qualify you for the funding:

• A physical disability, for example if you’re hard of hearing or use a wheelchair
• A learning disability or related condition, for example if you have Down’s syndrome
• A developmental condition, like autism spectrum disorder
• Having ADHD or dyslexia
• An illness such as diabetes or epilepsy
• A temporary condition, like a broken leg
• A mental health condition, for example anxiety or depression.

You can apply for the support through the Government website.