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Access to Work · UK guide

Access to Work — the biggest grant most workers have never heard of.

Last verified 6 Jun 2026 · Source GOV.UK Access to Work factsheet + DWP guidance · Publisher CA Capital Limited (company no. 10848369)

If a disability or a physical or mental health condition affects your paid work, Access to Work can fund up to £69,260 a year of support: equipment, software, support workers, BSL interpreters, taxi travel where public transport isn't realistic, and a 9-month mental health support service. It's a grant, not a loan — never repaid — and it doesn't affect your benefits. The self-employed qualify too.

£69,260/yrMaximum award (2026/27)
Never repaidGrant, not a loan
9 monthsMental health support
Self-employedEligible too
What it pays for → Your rights at work

Who can apply

  • You're 16 or over.
  • You have a disability or health condition (physical or mental) that affects your work.
  • You're in paid work, or about to start — employment, an apprenticeship, a work trial or internship, or self-employment.
  • Your work is based in England, Scotland or Wales (Northern Ireland runs its own scheme — see below).
Read this first if you work in Northern IrelandThe GOV.UK Access to Work service does not cover Northern Ireland — but you are not left with nothing. NI runs its own scheme, Access to Work (NI), delivered by the Department for Communities, which can pay for practical help at work, extra travel-to-work costs caused by your disability, and support for your employer. Support is normally approved for up to three years at a time. Apply through a work coach at your local Jobs & Benefits office, or read the route on nidirect — Access to Work (NI). The application must be made by the disabled person. The £69,260 cap and the figures on this page are the Great Britain scheme — do not assume they apply in NI; check the current limits on nidirect.
PIP and Access to Work are separateGetting (or not getting) PIP has no bearing on Access to Work — they're different systems with different tests. Plenty of people who'd never qualify for PIP get genuinely life-changing Access to Work awards, especially for mental health.

What it can pay for

  • Specialist equipment + assistive software — screen readers, dictation tools, ergonomic kit.
  • A support worker or job aide — including admin support linked to your condition.
  • BSL interpreters or lip speakers for deaf workers.
  • Travel to and from work — taxis where your condition makes public transport unrealistic, or vehicle adaptations.
  • Disability awareness training for your colleagues.
  • Mental health support — up to 9 months of confidential one-to-one support, a personalised plan and coping strategies, whether you're struggling at work or returning from sick leave.

The grant covers support beyond your employer's legal duty to make reasonable adjustments — it works alongside it, not instead of it.

The mental health route

You don't need any equipment element to use Access to Work. If anxiety, depression or stress is affecting your job or keeping you on sick leave, the Mental Health Support Service alone is worth applying for:

  • Up to 9 months of confidential one-to-one support from a specialist provider.
  • A personalised support plan built around your job.
  • Your employer doesn't need to know your diagnosis.

How to apply

Claim it now — free
Apply via GOV.UK → 📞 Call 0800 121 7479

Have ready: your condition, your job, and what's hard — you don't need to know the solutions; an assessor can recommend them. Apply before paying for support yourself.

  1. Apply online at GOV.UK ("Apply for Access to Work") or call 0800 121 7479.
  2. Describe your condition, your job, and what's hard — you don't need to know the solutions; an assessor can recommend them.
  3. Apply early — you can apply up to 6 weeks before starting a job, and there can be a waiting list, so don't sit on it.
  4. Awards can run up to 3 years, reviewed annually. Keep receipts and claim promptly.
Don't pay for workplace support yourself firstPeople quietly fund their own taxis, software or support out of wages for years without knowing this scheme exists. Apply before spending your own money — and if your employer suggests you "just manage", remember the grant exists precisely so you don't have to.

Turned down, or awarded too little?

Access to Work works differently from PIP or Universal Credit: there is no tribunal appeal. Instead you have the right to one reconsideration — a fresh look at the decision by a different case manager.

  1. Ask for a reconsideration by calling 0800 121 7479 or using the contact details on your decision letter. Do it as soon as possible after the letter arrives.
  2. Say exactly what you disagree with — the refusal, the amount, or what was and wasn't funded — and why the award doesn't meet your needs at work.
  3. Send new evidence: how your condition affects the job day to day, quotes for the equipment or support you need, a letter from your employer, anything from a health professional. The strongest reconsiderations fill the gaps the first decision missed.
  4. Keep records of every call, letter and document — and note who you spoke to.
Decision vs service — two different routesThe reconsideration is for the decision itself. If the problem is how your case was handled — long delays, lost paperwork, poor communication — that's a complaint: raise it on the helpline first, then through the DWP complaints procedure, and if still unresolved, the Independent Case Examiner. Free help preparing either is available from Citizens Advice or Scope.

Free UK support

  • GOV.UK Access to Work — eligibility + the online application.
  • Access to Work helpline — 0800 121 7479.
  • Scope — 0808 800 3333. Disability employment advice.
  • Citizens Advice — 0800 144 8848. Free help applying.
  • ACAS — 0300 123 1100 if reasonable adjustments are being refused.
Source verification Primary source: GOV.UK Access to Work factsheet + DWP Access to Work guidance · gov.uk/access-to-work. Last verified 13 July 2026. Confidence: High — £69,260 annual cap (2026/27), 3-year awards + eligibility per DWP guidance/factsheet. Key feature: grant never repaid; doesn't affect other benefits; self-employed eligible. Scope: Great Britain only (England, Scotland, Wales). Northern Ireland source: nidirect — Access to Work (NI) (read 13 July 2026): the scheme is delivered by the Department for Communities, applied for through a work coach at a local Jobs & Benefits office, and approved for up to three years at a time. Not verified (stated honestly): nidirect does not publish an NI equivalent of the £69,260 cap, so we print no NI figure — check the current limits on nidirect.

Access to Work — common questions

What is Access to Work?

A DWP grant of up to £69,260/yr (2026/27) that pays for practical and mental health support so a disability or health condition doesn't hold you back in paid work. Never repaid; doesn't affect other benefits.

Who is eligible?

Anyone 16+ with a disability or physical/mental health condition affecting their work, in or about to start paid work — including apprenticeships and self-employment — based in England, Scotland or Wales. PIP status is irrelevant; they're separate systems.

What can it pay for?

Equipment and assistive software, support workers, BSL interpreters, taxi travel to work, vehicle adaptations, colleague awareness training, and the 9-month mental health support service. It sits on top of your employer's reasonable-adjustments duty.

Does it cover mental health?

Yes — up to 9 months of confidential one-to-one support with a personalised plan if anxiety, depression or stress affects your work. Your employer doesn't need to know your diagnosis. You can apply for this alone.

How do I apply?

Online via GOV.UK or on 0800 121 7479. Describe the condition, the job and the difficulty — an assessor can recommend solutions. Apply early (up to 6 weeks before a job starts); awards run up to 3 years, reviewed annually.

I work in Northern Ireland — can I get Access to Work?

Yes, but through a different door. The GOV.UK service covers Great Britain only. Northern Ireland has its own scheme, Access to Work (NI), run by the Department for Communities: it can pay for practical help at work, extra travel-to-work costs caused by your disability, and support for your employer, normally approved for up to three years at a time. Apply through a work coach at your local Jobs & Benefits office — see nidirect. The £69,260 cap on this page is the Great Britain figure; check the current NI limits on nidirect.

Sources: Access to Work · GOV.UK (eligibility, what it covers, how to apply). Maximum annual award £69,260 (2026/27) + 3-year awards · DWP Access to Work guidance / factsheet. Mental Health Support Service (9 months, confidential) · GOV.UK Access to Work factsheet. Free help: Access to Work line 0800 121 7479 · Scope 0808 800 3333 · Citizens Advice 0800 144 8848 · ACAS 0300 123 1100. NI has a separate scheme. Last reviewed: 6 June 2026.

Condition making work harder? Apply before paying yourself.

Up to £69,260 a year for equipment, support workers, travel and 9 months of mental health support — never repaid, never affecting your benefits. Sorted's "What am I missing?" cross-checks Access to Work, PIP, the Blue Badge and every disability-related route.

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