Access to Work is a long-standing government grant scheme to help people get or stay in work if they have a physical or mental health condition or disability. Funding pays for practical support like specialist equipment, support workers such as British Sign Language interpreters, and the costs of travelling to work. Demand for the scheme has grown significantly with the number of applications more than doubling since 2018-19. This has resulted in processing delays and backlogs, creating difficulties for individuals and employers using the scheme.
As the government looks to improve the Access to Work scheme, we have identified three practical steps the Department for Work and Pensions can take to strengthen administration, improve value for money, and put the scheme on a sound footing.
Improve evidence on what works
The scheme clearly has benefits but DWP recognises that it does not know whether the scheme provides value for money. It has little evidence about the difference the funding has made. And there are real challenges to evaluation including the need for better data.
We therefore recommend DWP should address gaps in administrative and survey data in order to assess the benefits of the current scheme. It should also implement any changes to the scheme in a way that enables evaluation of whether the scheme is meeting its objectives and achieving value for money. Evaluation will help DWP to identify what has worked and what has not, and why.
Boost productivity
Good quality data can help departments to improve operational performance. For Access to Work, DWP has responded to the increased demand by more than doubling staff working on the scheme, from 247 in 2021-22 to 588 in 2024-25. It has also sought to improve productivity by lessening the administrative workload involved in processing applications. As a result, DWP has reduced the rate of growth in the number of people waiting for a decision about their applications, but the backlog is not yet declining.
We were able to use duration analysis to identify patterns in how long it took DWP to process cases. But we could not do more detailed analysis, for example to identify where in the process cases are most commonly held up. Access to Work relies on inefficient data systems, with case managers having to enter data manually. This means that, as with many legacy systems, the data are not sufficiently robust.
We recommend that DWP should improve the quality and comprehensiveness of the data that it collects about processing Access to Work. It can then use analytical techniques, such as process mining, to identify and address bottlenecks in the customer journey.
Reduce inconsistency
We don’t know what Access to Work will look like in the future. In March 2025, the government published a green paper setting out proposals to reform incapacity and disability benefits system, including proposals for the future of Access to Work. Whatever the outcome, clear guidance will help staff make consistent decisions that are aligned with the policy intent.
DWP has already taken steps to make decision-making more consistent. It introduced new training to reinforce the principles of Access to Work and the questions to ask customers, and to build case managers' confidence in asking for additional extra evidence where required. A consequence of DWP more rigorously and consistently applying its guidance is that some customers may have seen a reduction in their funding without any change in their circumstances.
DWP still has concerns about how the scheme is working in practice – for example, about whether employers are always meeting their legal responsibilities to provide reasonable adjustments. Access to Work provision is intended to go above and beyond these reasonable adjustments rather than filling the gaps.
We recommend that DWP should amend its guidance to align more closely with the government’s objectives for the scheme – both now and after any changes – to support case workers to make consistent decisions.
Looking ahead
Ultimately, the Access to Work scheme plays a valuable role in helping people with disabilities or health conditions secure and sustain employment. Maximising the value for money of the scheme will require government to improve how it administers the current system, to get on top of the backlogs and to assess the scheme’s impact. Improving administration of the scheme now is important both for the individuals and employers who need support and for creating a stronger foundation for any future changes that the government decides to make.
Laura Brackwell is an NAO director, responsible for leading value for money work on the Department for Work and Pensions. Read the NAO's report on improving the Access to Work scheme