Advice
FOR PARENTS
Get access…
What is Access to Work? Access to Work is a discretionary grant scheme to help more people with specific requirements get into or stay in work by providing practical and financial support. The scheme is tailored to an individual’s needs, and can provide funding for travel to work, and for support workers, specialist aids and equipment. To be eligible for Access to Work, a candidate should: • Have a disability or health condition (physical or mental) that makes it hard for them to do parts of their job, or get to and from work • Be 16 or over • Live in England, Scotland or Wales – there’s a different system in Northern Ireland – see
nidirect.gov.uk
They also need to have a paid job, or be about to start or return to one. A paid job could include:
• Self-employment • An apprenticeship
• A work trial or work experience • An internship
The grant does not apply to voluntary work, and the job must be based in England, Scotland or Wales. A candidate may also be eligible for Access to Work support if they are on a Department for Education (DfE) supported internship or traineeship programme.
Can Access to Work help someone not yet in employment?
If they have either an interview scheduled, or are about to start a new job, they may be eligible for Access to Work. They may need to provide a job offer letter, a job start date, or a letter confirming the interview.
What are supported internships? Supported internships are a type of study programme aimed at young people who want to move into employment and need extra support to do so. They must be aged from 16 to 24 (or 25, if the internship is completed before the end of the academic year during which the young person turned 25) with an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan. Supported internships are intended to equip young people that have learning difficulties, and/or disabilities, with the skills needed to achieve sustainable, paid employment. Internships normally last for a year and include an unpaid work placement of at least six months. Access to Work only funds up to 39 weeks of support for the unpaid work portion of the internship.
What are traineeships? Traineeships are another type of study programme that include a work placement and aim to move young people closer to employment. Traineeships provide the essential work preparation training, alongside English and maths qualifications,
Know about all the possible support available – including the Access to Work initiative
and work experience needed to secure an apprenticeship or paid employment. Although they do not need an EHC plan to be placed on a traineeship programme, they will only be able to receive Access to Work support while on a traineeship if they have an EHC plan. As traineeships can last anywhere between six weeks and six months, Access to Work support for a traineeship programme is available for a maximum of 26 weeks.
For those already in employment, Access
to Work can help pay for support they may need because of a disability or long-term health condition, for example:
• Aids and equipment in the workplace • Adapting equipment to make it easier to use
• Money towards any extra travel costs to and from work if they cannot use available public transport, or need help to adapt their vehicle
• An interpreter or other support at a job interview if they have difficulty communicating
• Other practical help at work, such as a job coach, a note taker or lip speaker Jobs can be part-time or full-time, temporary or permanent.
How to apply... To apply online, or find out more about Access to Work, please visit:
gov.uk/access-to-work
Summer 2020
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