People who work but have health conditions could be handed up to £69,260 in a free grant that doesn’t have to be paid back.
The DWP and Jobcentre run a scheme called Access To Work, which hit the headlines this week thanks to reports of ‘sickfluencers’ urging people to claim benefits, which is allegedly pushing up the UK’s welfare bill.
However, the Access To Work scheme is little advertised, and it does offer money to people who work but need disability support, according to Disability Rights UK.
Access To Work is a ‘discretionary grant scheme’ that provides support to disabled people who are in paid employment, self-employed, apprentices, trainees, or even going to a job interview.
Those who have a job offer, job start date or interview letter can also apply.
Those who can get help via the scheme are those who “have a physical or mental health condition or disability that means you need support to do your job or get to and from work,” according to the government.
Anyone with a condition falling into these seven categories of conditions could be eligible, according to Gov.uk, if they need ‘reasonable adjustments’ to be able to work:
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a physical disability, for example if you’re hard of hearing or use a wheelchair
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a learning disability or related condition, for example if you have Down’s syndrome
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a developmental condition, like autism spectrum disorder
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having ADHD or dyslexia
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an illness such as diabetes or epilepsy
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a temporary condition, like a broken leg
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a mental health condition, for example anxiety or depression
Disability Rights UK says: “There is no set amount for an Access to Work grant. How much you get depends on your specific case. The grant will only cover the support needed to let you stay in work or in self-employment.
“There is an annual cap on the total amount of support that can be provided under Access to Work; this is currently set at £69, 260.”
