Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether an Access to Work scheme has been implemented in their Department.

Access to Work is a demand-led, personalised discretionary grant, administered by the Department for Work and Pensions, which contributes to the disability-related extra costs of working faced by disabled people and those with a health condition in the workplace that are beyond standard reasonable adjustments. It does not replace an employer’s duty under the Equality Act 2010 to make reasonable adjustments.

In April 2022, all government departments, including the Ministry of Justice, took over responsibility for providing adjustments that would previously have been funded through Access to Work for civil servants working in their department.

The Ministry of Justice has not replicated the Access to Work Scheme but has increased the scope, volume and funding of its workplace adjustments provision for its staff, including an in-house workplace adjustment service. The department also provides adjustment support for candidates applying for roles based on their individual needs.

The Ministry of Justice provides individual focused support, with similar aims to those of the Department for Work and Pension`s Access to Work Scheme, which is dedicated to fully supporting our people by ensuring they have workplace adjustments they require.