Access to Work Collective are a growing group of over 2,800 stakeholders of Access to Work, including disabled people, organisations, employers, researchers, suppliers, policymakers and allies.
They exist to raise awareness of the scheme and the current challenges, share solutions, advice and support, and reduce the disability employment gap and disability pay gaps.
The government is pushing for more disabled people to enter and stay in work, but at the same time, they are planning or have already announced cuts and restrictions to Access to Work and disability benefits. Despite being a vital government scheme, Access to Work remains underused, misunderstood, and often difficult to navigate.
Access to Work has been available since 1994, but less than 1% of working disabled people use it. Yet, the government says it's unsustainable and has an open consultation to gather views on its reform.
The Access to Work scheme, designed to support disabled people in employment, has been experiencing significant delays and growing waiting lists. The main impacts have been long delays, disabled people burning out, support workers and interpreters leaving due to late payments and low rates and disabled people going into debt to cover costs.
Access to Work Collective has launched a campaign and written an open letter, to urge the government to stop all planned changes and to co-create a fit-for-purpose Access to Work service.
How to support:
- Sign the open letter.
- Join the LinkedIn Group + Page – Connect with others driving change and sharing stories.
- Sign up for our mailing list – Stay updated on our work and key developments.