How does an employee apply for Access to Work?

The route in, step by step

Access to Work is a Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) grant that helps pay for support a disabled or neurodivergent person needs to do their job. Here is the part employers most often get wrong. The employee applies themselves, not the employer, online at gov.uk/access-to-work or by phone on 0800 121 7479. A DWP case manager then contacts both employee and employer to agree a tailored support package (May 2026).

1. The employee starts the claim. To be eligible they must be 16 or over, in paid work (or due to start or return within 12 weeks), normally living and working in England, Scotland or Wales, and have a physical or mental health condition or disability that affects how they work. A formal diagnosis is not required.
2. They apply on the GOV.UK Access to Work service or by phone. They will need a workplace contact who can confirm they work there, so agree who that will be before they apply.
3. A DWP case manager reviews the claim and gets in touch. With the employee's permission, the case manager talks to you as the employer about the support and any costs you already cover.
4. An assessor may look at the workplace, by video call or in person, to work out what would help. A decision letter then sets out the grant amount and which costs are approved.

The timeline, and the cap

Be honest with the employee about the wait. The National Audit Office reported in February 2026 that the backlog has grown sharply: claims awaiting a decision nearly trebled from 21,700 in March 2022 to 62,100 in March 2025, and average processing time reached 66 days in 2024-25, rising to 109 days by November 2025. Because you can apply up to 12 weeks before a job starts, the practical advice is to start early. The annual grant is capped at £69,260 for the year to 31 March 2026, and it stays at £69,260 for the year to 31 March 2027.

Where the employer's own duty fits

Access to Work tops up your existing duty under the Equality Act 2010 to make reasonable adjustments for a disabled employee; it does not replace it. It funds support that goes beyond what counts as a reasonable adjustment, so keep making the adjustments you would make anyway while the claim is in the queue. If the case manager asks for a closer look at the role, that may involve a workplace needs assessment.

This page is general information, not clinical or legal advice.