This is a guide for staff who wish to apply for Access to Work (AtW), or those who want to know more about the process.
Access to Work (AtW) is a publicly funded employment support grant scheme that aims to support disabled people to start or stay in work. It can provide practical and financial support if you have a disability or long term physical or mental health condition. An easy read version of the AtW website is also available for those with learning disabilities or who have difficulties reading.
The application to AtW needs to be made directly by you as the staff member. If you are new in post, please aim to make this application within the first 6 weeks of your employment.
We recommend that you read the information on this page fully before applying for the grant and let our Occupational Health (OH) team and your manager know in the earliest instance if you wish to apply for the grant. This is to avoid delays in receiving your support or equipment.
You can check your staff member's eligibility to claim the AtW grant online but if you are unsure, please email Occupational Health for advice. If you receive Access to Work documentation for one of your staff members or are aware they wish to make a claim, please complete a referral to Occupational Health and provide any documentation you have received.
AtW can provide you with support with the extra costs of working that may occur because of a disability and/or long term physical and/or mental health condition(s). Examples include:
There are some things Access to Work cannot fund, including:
To be eligible for support you must:
Although you can apply for a grant at any time, to avoid delays in receiving your equipment you should follow the University Access to Work Procedure.
Please make Occupational Health aware in the first instance to see if another referral is required and then call the Access to Work helpline to report a change in your circumstances. You may get another assessment and a change to the award.