Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to ensure that (a) people with arthritis and (b) musculoskeletal conditions and employers are aware of the Access to Work scheme.

We are committed to investing in Access to Work to overcome disabled people’s barriers to employment including those with arthritis and musculoskeletal conditions. As part of our plans to raise numbers supported by Access to Work by 25,000 by the end of the Parliament, we have recently launched an online application process.

We have promoted Access to Work as part of Disability Confident and will continue to do so. We are also undertaking further marketing and promotion of the Access to Work programme. This includes working with stakeholders and partners such as Arthritis support organisations, Chartered Society of physiotherapists, British association of occupational therapists and employer associations to raise awareness through communications to their customers. We are also ensuring that advisers who work with potential customers, including Jobcentre Plus, health professionals and advisory groups, have the information and tools to act as advocates.