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Cymraeg

Access to Work

Employers have to support you if you work or apply to them with a disability or mental health condition. Approach them direct about support you know you need, but there could be additional help available for you.

Available to:

Anybody with a mental or physical health condition or disability that makes it difficult to do parts of your job, or get to and from work

Length:

The support that you are offered will be based on your needs

Location:

England, Scotland, Wales

Age restriction:

All ages

How to apply:

Talk to your employer about how Access to Work could help you. Otherwise an Access to Work adviser can work directly with you and your employer to suggest practical changes that could support you in the workplace.

Check eligibility criteria
Apply now at gov.uk
Woman working at standing desk

What is Access to Work?

  • If you have a disability or a physical or mental health condition, then you may need extra help to start a new job, or to stay in work.
  • Employers have a legal responsibility to support you in work, by considering reasonable adjustments to the job, the recruitment process or by providing extra equipment.
  • If you need extra support, you should always start by talking to your employer to see how they can help you.
  • In addition to support from your employer, you may also be able to get help from Access to Work.
  • Access to Work is a government scheme that can pay for extra support to help you start or stay in work. The support that you are offered will be based on your needs, and could include a grant to help cover the costs of practical support in the workplace. It may be able to pay for additional support on top of any reasonable adjustments you’ve agreed with your employer.
  • It is available if you have a health condition (either mental or physical), or a disability that affects you at work.
  • An Access to Work grant does not need to be paid back and could pay for a range of different support that you may need, including:
    • support workers to help you
    • specialist equipment to make working easier
    • help with the cost of travel to work and back
    • mental health support
  • If your health condition requires you to work from home sometimes, Access to Work could also help with adjustments needed at home to help you stay in work.

Eligibility for Access to Work

  • To be eligible for Access to Work you must:
    • have a disability or health condition (physical or mental) that makes it difficult for you to do parts of your job, or get to and from work
    • be 16 or over
    • live in England, Scotland or Wales
  • You can check your eligibility for Access to Work on the gov.uk website.
  • You also need to have a paid job, or be about to start or return to one. A paid job could include:
    • self-employment
    • an apprenticeship
    • an internship
  • Access to Work could also pay for you to take part in work experience or a work trial.
  • You should talk to your employer about how Access to Work could help you. But if you prefer, an Access to Work adviser can work directly with your employer to suggest practical changes that could support you in the workplace.
  • You can check the full eligibility criteria, and apply for Access to Work by visiting gov.uk
  • You can also access the Access to Work easy read factsheet or visit the DWP YouTube sign channel for British Sign Language (BSL) videos about Access to Work.

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