Yes. Self-employed people can get Access to Work if you’re 16+, live and work in England, Scotland or Wales, have a condition that affects your work, and your business turns over at least £6,500 a year (2026). The scheme is not just for employees, and the support that kept you in work on PAYE can carry over when you go freelance or run your own business.
The eligibility rule
Access to Work is a government grant from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) that pays for practical support so a disability or health condition doesn’t hold you back at work. To qualify you must be 16 or over, live and work (or be about to start or return to work) in England, Scotland or Wales, and have a physical or mental health condition or disability that means you need support to do your job or get to and from it. If you’re self-employed, the one extra test is an annual turnover of at least £6,500, which is how the scheme confirms you’re genuinely trading. You do not need a formal diagnosis: what matters is the barrier your condition creates at work, whether or not it’s been given a label.
The qualifier the other guides miss: no cost share
Here is the part most explainers leave out. For an employee, the boss has to chip in towards certain support once the person has worked there more than six weeks. That employer cost share does not apply to self-employed applicants, so DWP can fund 100% of the approved support with no contribution to split.
| Cost share | Employee | Self-employed |
|---|---|---|
| Who contributes | Employer, on aids, equipment and adaptations | No one |
| DWP share of approved costs | Up to 80% within the threshold band | Up to 100% |
| When it applies | After 6 weeks in the job | Never (exempt) |
Two limits do apply, though. The grant supports an existing, trading business, so it cannot pay to set up or form a business: no start-up equipment, fact-finding or course costs while the business is being formed. And the turnover floor of £6,500 is what counts you as “in work” in the first place. (Some blogs quote a £6,708 earnings figure here. The GOV.UK rule is the £6,500 turnover one.) The maximum annual grant for 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027 is £69,260.
How to apply
Apply online through the Access to Work service on GOV.UK, or call the helpline if you’d rather talk it through. Have your Unique Taxpayer Reference (UTR), the number HMRC gives every self-employed person, ready, since you’ll be asked for it as proof you’re trading. You apply for yourself; there is no employer in the loop to approve it.
- Start at the GOV.UK Access to Work eligibility page and follow the link to apply.
- Then a workplace assessment recommends your specific support, which can run alongside what Access to Work pays for more widely.
Being eligible is not the same as being funded: the assessor still has to agree the support is needed and reasonable. The practical catch in 2026 is the queue. The National Audit Office reported in February 2026 that self-employed applicants are waiting far longer than employees, roughly 67 weeks against 37, so apply early and don’t bank on a fast decision. You can read more on how long an Access to Work application takes.
Where the law comes from
Related
This page is general information, not clinical or legal advice.