Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness and accessibility of Access to Work support.

Access to Work is a government scheme which provides grant funding to disabled people, as well as those with a health condition enabling them to start and stay in work. The Department is making improvements to the Access to Work scheme and to manage these improvements, we have engaged in extensive discussion with stakeholders to make sure the needs of customers are met.

The Department published a new Access to Work research report, in June 2026, Journeys to Access to Work, which was delivered by NatCen and builds on earlier research with Access to Work customers and employers. The report summarises applicants’ and employers’ journeys to Access to Work, their experiences of the application process and delivery of the scheme, perceptions of its impact and recommendations for improvement.

We announced in May 2026 our commitment to deliver an Access to Work that is timely, efficient, and can meet new levels of demand by employing nearly 500 additional staff. It will help to restore confidence in the capability of the Scheme to award the right support at the right time and sets a pathway towards further improvements.

Recruitment commenced as planned in September 2026, with new colleagues joining in cohorts through to December 2026. As these recruits move through coaching, consolidation and accreditation, we expect productivity to increase progressively over the following six months.