Access to work

Our Access to Work Week promotion may have finished, but you can still reach out to us for help with the process!

Access to Work Funding guide!

What is AtW?

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Put simply, AtW is a government grant, to support you at your work. It's not means tested, and anyone who fits the criteria can apply. If you're reading this, that's you!

You don't have to pay it back, and it doesn't affect any other benefits or support. It will fund things like coaching, to help you make the most of your time at work, and feel good while you're there, and might even fund training for those around you. All you have to do is apply.

Officially, Access to Work (AtW) is a grant that funds practical support if you have a disability, health or mental health condition. The aim is to help you start work, stay in work or be able move into self-employment or start a business. The support will accommodate your individual needs, and ensure all the reasonable adjustments you need to do your job to the best of your ability are in place.

Video- Access to work; what is it?

Who is eligible for Access to Work?

Most people are eligible for AtW.

There are some basic criteria, you need to:

Be 16 years old or older.
Live in England, Scotland, or Wales.
Need help with parts of your job or getting to your job because of your disability or health condition.

Access to Work doesn’t require a clinical diagnosis or acknowledgement of disability, though that does make getting the right support much easier. If you have a hard time with usual things you do every day because of your condition you will meet the criteria. If you don't have a formal diagnosis, AtW might need to contact your work, to check your difficulties, and see what support can be offered.

You must be employed, or entering employment. This includes most forms of employment, including self-employment, internships, work trial or work experience, work placements and apprenticeships.

We have found there are a few exceptions to this. If you are employed, but are in a situation where you aren't supposed to work, such as maternity leave, or gardening leave, they will not fund you. Even if that makes no sense at all!

There's more on eligibility on the official gov.uk site here.

There is no set amount for an Access to Work grant as the recommendations of support are tailored to your specific needs. What you get depends on your circumstances.

Grants are capped at just over £62,000. But it would be difficult to get near this amount.

In our recent experience, a standard grant for coaching might be just £1,200, up to £2,460.

We can make sure that you get the most out of your application, and help you to build your 'script', to spell out your situation and your needs.

The money can pay for things like:

a support worker or job coach to help you in your workplace
And ADHD or anxiety coach
a support service if you have a mental health condition and you’re absent from work or finding it difficult to work
adaptations to the equipment you use
special equipment
fares to work if you can’t use public transport
disability awareness training for your colleagues
a communicator at a job interview
the cost of moving your equipment if you change location or job

What support might I get?

How long will it take?

This is the hard part- it takes a while.
Once you have filled out your application, which takes less than 10 minutes, then there's a big wait, for them to call you to discuss it. (I know, it's a terrible idea- who calls anymore? and who would answer?? But...)

It depends on your area, but they say 12-15 weeks. In reality, it's a bit longer than that, because of the volume of applications.

The callers are usually friendly, and they are on your side. They just don't want it to cost too much, which is why you want to have your needs and what you want laid out clearly.
For instance, for coaching, they will often want you to take their cheaper option. Unfortunately this usually means a very mixed standard of support.
If you are prepared, you can say you want a specific coach, and they will sometimes ask you to provide a quote, or multiple quotes, and usually take the cheapest one. Or ask you or your workplace to make up the difference for the one that you want.
This sounds very complicated, but don't worry, The Vet Project will support you every step of the way, and give you all the resources you need to make it as smooth as possible.

Video- Access to work;
what are the drawbacks?

If The Vet Project help me, will I have to choose them?

No, by using TVP support and coming to our sessions, you are in no way obliged to use our services. We want to help, we want to support our friends, colleagues and followers, and this seems like a good way to do it.

We would be very happy for you to choose us for our expert coaching and training, but it is entirely up to you.