Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (): The Access to Work Scheme plays an important role
in supporting disabled people and people with health conditions
in, and into, work. The core ambition of the Scheme is to ensure
disability is never a barrier to, or in, the workplace. The
Scheme is highly valued by the many disabled people it supports,
Disabled People's Organisations and employers.
Demand for Access to Work has risen sharply since the pandemic,
with more than double the number of applications in 2024/25 than
in 2018/19. Alongside this, we inherited a substantial backlog of
around 57,000 cases awaiting a decision beyond the expected
timescales.
I know how frustrating these delays are, and the impact this can
have on the recruitment and retention of disabled people and
people with long-term health conditions.
That is why we have already increased the number of staff working
on Access to Work by around 30% (from 500 in March 2024, to 657
in March 2026), and continued to prioritise applications where a
customer is due to start work within four weeks.
Thanks to the action and hard work of our colleagues, we have
eliminated delays in making payments and cleared around 96% of
cases where a customer was due to start work in four weeks within
28 days.
This is important progress, but there is more to do.
Today, I am announcing a clear plan of action to clear the
backlog in applications by September 2027.
We will recruit an additional 480 case staff to process the
higher volume of applications. When recruitment is complete, we
will have more than twice as many staff working on Access to Work
as in March 2024. The recruitment process has already begun, and
new case managers will receive extensive training to handle
complex applications with confidence. This will ensure disabled
people, and people with health conditions can receive timely
support to secure and sustain employment.
This comes alongside wider work on Keep Britain Working where
Government is partnering with employers and stakeholders to
develop practices and approaches to better support disabled
people and those with health conditions in the workplace.
It is also important that we consider wider changes to the Access
to Work scheme. We are keen to ensure the Scheme remains fair and
sustainable. I know how important Access to Work is to the people
it supports, so it is important we take the time to get reforms
right to deliver real improvements.
I have taken the time to consult widely, collaborate with and
gather evidence from disabled people, employers and
representative bodies. I am now considering the insights from the
Collaboration Committee process, the recent NAO report, and work
with the Independent Disability Advisory panel to help shape
potential wider changes to the Scheme.
This announcement is a great step to help deliver an Access to
Work that is timely, efficient, and can meet the new levels of
demand. It will restore confidence in the capability of the
Scheme to award the right support at the right time and sets a
pathway towards wider improvements.
