The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has responded to concerns about drastic cuts to awards and severe backlogs in the Access to Work scheme. One claimant said it was a "massive toll" on their health as their funding was cut by 85 per cent.
Access to Work scheme
The Access to Work programme provides grant funding of up to £69,260 a year to pay for various means of help so a person with a health condition or disability can stay in employment. The funds can go towards things like support workers, specialist equipment, travel costs, and extra colleague training.
But claimants report that their grants are being slashed back, even when their personal needs have not changed. New applicants are also waiting many months for their applications to be dealt with, after a huge surge in applications in recent years.
Claimants' experiences
Two workers who lost out on funding spoke to the BBC's Money Box show about their experiences. Jenny, a self-employed content creator who uses a wheelchair, saw her renewal award slashed by 85 per cent. She said it is very difficult to challenge the decision: "There's no formal process for reconsideration or for tribunal.
"Called up the day that we got the letter to put in a request for reconsideration, but were told that it was going to be at least five weeks before they even started looking at it." She described the profound impact on her daily life in losing out on the help.
The disabled woman said: "I still have to run my business. I still have support workers that I need, even on vastly reduced hours and reduced pay. You know, it's having such a massive toll and impact on my mental and physical health, but also my income and my household income, and also my husband having to take time off work to support me in my job, which is not his responsibility because he has his own full-time job."
'Deeply demoralising'
Rana, who was born deaf and works for her local council, also saw her funding substantially cut. As a result, she lost her support worker and was left with only specialist equipment to help her in her job. She said: "Whilst technology can help, it cannot replace the human support I need to communicate effectively and fully participate at work.
"This decision is deeply demoralising. Access to Work should be helping disabled people remain in the workforce and progress in their career, not making that harder."
The DWP confirmed the current waiting time for new applications is 37 weeks (around eight months). As of May 2026, some 60,000 applicants were awaiting a decision, up from 48,270 in June 2024.
Decisions are made on a case-by-case basis through discussions with the applicant and their employer. There is no formal appeal against the award amount. However, anyone can submit one request for a reconsideration by a different Access to Work case manager, using the contact details at the top of their award letter.
DWP response
Responding to criticisms, a DWP spokesperson said: "Access to Work is a lifeline, but demand for the scheme has grown significantly in recent years, with the number of people supported nearly doubling in five years. That's why we've taken action by employing nearly 500 additional staff to clear the backlog and are working with disabled people and their organisations to improve the scheme.
"If anyone is unhappy with their original decision, we encourage them to exercise their right of reconsideration." The department said that it is actively monitoring demand and plans to deploy more staff to tackle claims.
