Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to increase participation by disabled people in the Access to Work programme.

Access to Work is a demand-led, discretionary grant that supports the recruitment and retention of disabled people in sustainable, paid employment. In 2021/22 over 38,500 people with a disability or a health condition received a payment from Access to Work and this year Access to Work has already seen a significant rise in the number of applications.

Access to Work regularly engages with stakeholders, partners, and employer associations, to raise awareness of the scheme. To support local engagement Access to Work has delivered a series of upskilling sessions to Jobcentre Work Coaches and developed a toolkit to support employer engagement. In addition, the DWP regularly provides information about the support available via its social media channels.

To further raise awareness of Access to Work and support transitions into employment, my department has worked with stakeholders to develop an Adjustments Passport. The Adjustments Passport provides the holder with an up-to-date record of their workplace adjustments, it can support conversations with employers and help remove the need for an Access to Work assessment.

In May 2022, the Health Adjustments Passport was rolled out in Jobcentres to support disabled jobseekers. In the coming months a service leavers passport will be made available to support Armed Forces personnel with their transition into civilian employment; and from September 2023 the Adjustments Passport will be rolled out across universities.