Background to the report 

Access to Work is a demand-led grant scheme to help people get, or stay in, work if they have a physical or mental health condition or disability. Funding may pay for things like specialist equipment, support workers such as a British Sign Language interpreter, the costs of travelling to work and physical adaptations to the workplace.

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The Department for Work & Pensions (DWP) typically approves support for individuals for three years, up to a maximum annual total, which was £69,260 in 2024-25 and 2025-26.

In March 2025, the government published a green paper setting out proposals to reform the country’s incapacity and disability benefits system. This included proposals for the future of Access to Work in order to consider how public resources can generate the most value for the greatest number of people.

Concerns have been raised in Parliament and by stakeholders about the backlogs and delays, and the impact these may have on the employment of people with disabilities and health conditions. In its 2024 election manifesto, the Labour Party said it would tackle the backlog of Access to Work claims.

Scope of the report

Our investigation was to provide transparency over DWP’s operation of Access to Work and inform public debate about the future of the scheme.

The report covers:

  • the purpose of the Access to Work scheme;
  • take-up of the scheme; and
  • how DWP is managing the increased take-up of the scheme

Our work was not designed to assess whether Access to Work is providing value for money.

Video summary

Mark Parrett, Senior Audit Manager, summarises our findings.

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Publication details

Press release

View press release (6 Feb 2026)

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