Access to Work cuts: impact on people with a learning disability

Access to Work is a government programme that supports disabled people to take up or remain in work. It can provide financial and practical support to help disabled people overcome workplace barriers. This support could cover equipment, a job coach, or other work-related costs, such as transport.

In the past year, however, disabled people, advocates and support providers have reported severe reductions to awards – often at the renewal stage – with no warning or explanation.

Campaigners recently delivered an open letter with over 17,000 signatures to the Government, urging it to urgently reform the Access to Work scheme. It followed a national survey that revealed widespread breakdowns in how Access to Work operates.

People are waiting months, sometimes years, for assessments, approvals, and payments. Many have already lost jobs, contracts, or income due to delays. Others are being forced to reduce working hours, decline paid work, or give up employment entirely.

Dr Danielle Farrel, Managing Director of Your Options Understood [YOU], currently relies on Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) support to deliver advocacy and other specialist services that aim to enhance the lives of those living with disability.

She has cerebral palsy, and her employment support has been reduced by more than 50% with very little notice, compromising her ability to continue working to support others facing similar challenges. Dr Farrel is now challenging the ruling and is committed to actively supporting others facing the same challenge.

“I previously had 40 hours per week, now it’s 21 per week. Even after asking for a reconsideration, the 21 hours is in place for three years with no option to appeal. However, this decision is based on the wrong information, so I’ve reported a change of circumstances. I’ve also taken it to my MP, but they haven’t been able to do much.

“This has been going on since April with no end in sight, so that I could lose my job, my business and ultimately my sanity and be back on benefits. They also haven’t been paying the correct hourly rate for my support for over a year, which has left me in debt and further emphasises the undervaluation of the social care workforce.  It also illustrates that they don’t understand what support actually costs.”

Access to work for people with a learning disability

Values Into Action Scotland is an organisation based in Scotland. They believe people with learning disabilities or autism have the same opportunities as everyone else and are supported to achieve these goals, whether in work or life.

Greg McKay is getting support from them in his job. At the moment, he has been employed as a store assistant at a local food retailer in Aberdeen since February 2024, and he is a valued member of his team. Due to his disability, he requires a support worker to work alongside him to fulfil his duties. However, Access to Work has only agreed to pay a support worker an hourly rate based on the average hourly rate of the role in the Aberdeen City area.

Tina, Greg’s mum, added: “Greg has overcome so much since 2009, he has faced each obstacle with determination and humour. Greg has always wanted to get a job, earn his own money, and have a purpose. We have tried many avenues over the years, and Vias (project search) have enabled him to achieve his ambition to work.  So, the threat that he may no longer be able to work, due to a lack of support from Access to Work, is devastating.

“Working at the Co-Op has given Greg purpose and routine. He loves working as part of a team and has made many friends. Life as a young person with a disability can be lonely and isolated, and working has changed all that for Greg. As parents, it is so awful to see your child in that situation. We were so delighted that life had changed for the better for Greg, and this current situation is very stressful and worrying for us.”

Challenges in getting support for those who need it

Kelly Forrest, Development Lead, has been supporting Greg. She said: “Access to Work is designed to support those with disabilities to gain and sustain employment.  In the last few years, as a charity supporting individuals into employment and employing individuals with disabilities, we have experienced significant challenges in getting the support for those who need it.

“This has included significant disparity between awards for in-work support, travel and job coaching, which is having a substantial effect on an individual moving into and sustaining employment. As such, we have lost trust in the programme when speaking to employers, and have experienced individuals who have been offered employment turn down opportunities because they are not confident that Access to Work would provide them with the support they require to do their job.”

Baroness Stephanie Fraser, CEO of Cerebral Palsy Scotland, is a champion who raises awareness of disability issues. She recently raised the issues of Access to Work as an oral question to the House of Lords, asking what the average waiting time is for applicants to the Access to Work scheme to receive a decision, and how many applications are currently awaiting a decision.

The answer said that the average waiting time for applicants to the Access to Work scheme to receive a decision in February 2025 was 84.6 days. Between the period April 2024 and February 2025, the average waiting time for a decision was 56.9 days. In February 2025, there were 62,000 applications awaiting processing (including new claims, renewals, and changes of circumstances).

It added that the data supplied is derived from unpublished management information, which was collected for internal Departmental use only, and has not been quality assured to National Statistics or Official Statistics publication standards. They should therefore be treated with caution.

She said: “The real issue is that Access to Work benefits are being cut right now, for people who have relied on them to stay in work, with little or no consultation or warning. The Government are not acknowledging the problem, let alone being willing to resolve the problem.”

Support cut for no good reason

Disabled People’s Organisation Inclusion Scotland also said that they are aware of disabled people having their Access to Work packages cut on review by as much as half, and with no good reason.

Dr Pauline Nolan, Head of Participation and Policy at Inclusion Scotland,  said:”This has meant people no longer being able to work and is far from the UK government’s intention of enabling disabled people to retain employment. There have also been delays on decisions of over six months which have meant many disabled people not being able to take up work or having to use their own funds to pay for the support Access to Work previously paid for while they wait for review.

“As the chair of the Scottish Access to Work Stakeholder forum, I have real concerns about the policy intentions not aligning with delivery. The UK government DWP have denied cutting people’s Access to Work, but the evidence is out there that that’s exactly what they’ve been doing.”

In a statement to the BBC recently, the DWP said: “We inherited an Access to Work scheme that is failing both employees and employers, which is why – as part of our welfare reform – we consulted on how it could be improved.

“We are reviewing all aspects of the scheme and will develop future policy with disabled people and the organisations that represent them.”

It added that there had been “no change in Access to Work policy”.

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Michael McEwan is a disability journalist with lived experience.