Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will consider the potential merits of introducing interim support for applicants to the Access to Work scheme who are awaiting a decision.

The Access to Work Scheme provides a personalised grant which considers individual customer’s needs and circumstances and is not a benefit, so interim financial support is not available through the scheme. Interim support whilst customers are awaiting an award decision is not currently an option with Access to Work given the highly personalised nature of the grant, alongside significant potential misuse and fraud risks that would come from granting interim support without fully reviewing a customer’s circumstances.

We prioritise the applications of those starting work within 4 weeks. Although there are no interim support measures for applicants awaiting a decision, both new applications and renewals can be backdated under the correct circumstances.

The Department is making improvements to the Access to Work scheme to do a better job in helping disabled people start and stay in work. To manage these improvements, we have engaged in extensive discussion with stakeholders to make sure the needs of customers are met.

The announcement on 19 May of a plan to recruit an additional 480 case staff reflected our commitment to deliver an AtW that is timely, efficient, and can meet new levels of demand. 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. We plan to eliminate the current backlog by September 2027.