The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is implementing significant cuts to the Access to Work scheme, a vital government programme that provides support to disabled individuals and those with health conditions to help them start or remain in employment. This move comes as the DWP aims to reduce the welfare bill, despite the scheme having assisted approximately 68,000 people in the 2023 to 2024 period.
Parliamentary Inquiry and Call for Evidence
The UK Parliament's Public Accounts Committee has launched an inquiry into the Access to Work scheme and is currently inviting written evidence from the public. Claimants, advocacy groups, and other stakeholders are strongly encouraged to submit their views or evidence by the deadline of Monday, 23 February 2026. This call for evidence is a critical opportunity for those affected by the cuts to have their voices heard and influence future policy decisions.
Details of the Access to Work Scheme
Introduced in 1994, the Access to Work scheme is designed to help disabled people and those with health conditions overcome barriers to employment. Support can include assessments to identify workplace obstacles and recommendations for overcoming them, as well as funding for practical assistance that supplements employers' legally-mandated reasonable adjustments.
Grants from the scheme can cover a range of needs, such as specialist aids and equipment, travel costs to work, and support workers. The government published proposals to reform Access to Work in March 2025, but recent figures indicate a concerning trend: scheme provision approved fell by more than 10 per cent in the year to March 2025.
Impact and Criticism
The Business Disability Forum (BDF) has expressed serious concerns, stating that businesses and their disabled employees are being "set up to fail" despite the government's ambitions to get 80% of disabled people into the workforce. This criticism is compounded by operational challenges within the scheme; in February 2025, about 62,000 applications were waiting to be processed, with 33,000 people awaiting payment, according to DWP data.
In a statement, the DWP acknowledged issues with the scheme, saying: "We inherited an Access to Work scheme that is failing both employees and employers, which is why - as part of our welfare reform - we consulted on how it could be improved. We are reviewing all aspects of the scheme and will develop future policy with disabled people and the organisations that represent them."
However, the timing of these cuts and the ongoing inquiry raise questions about the balance between fiscal responsibility and the support needed for disabled individuals to participate fully in the workforce. The call for evidence by the Public Accounts Committee represents a pivotal moment for claimants to advocate for the scheme's future and ensure that reforms do not undermine its core purpose of promoting inclusivity and employment opportunities.
