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Access to Work

Grants for disabled people to get or stay in work. Not means tested, does not affect your benefits, and never repaid.

Carevo editorial team Updated 2 August 2026 Checked by Carevo editorial team, 2 August 2026

Figures on this page are 2026/27 tax year rates, checked 2 August 2026. UK benefit rates and care charging thresholds change every April.

Access to Work is the most useful disability scheme most disabled workers have never heard of. It is a grant, not a loan or a benefit, and it exists to remove the practical barriers between a disabled person and a job.

What it pays for

  • Specialist equipment and assistive technology
  • A support worker, job coach, BSL interpreter or note taker
  • Taxi fares or other travel where public transport is not workable
  • Vehicle adaptations
  • Workplace adaptations
  • Mental health support through Able Futures or Maximus
  • Communication support at job interviews

Who qualifies

  • Aged 16 or over
  • In paid work, or starting or returning within 12 weeks
  • Living and working in England, Scotland or Wales (Northern Ireland runs its own scheme)
  • Self-employed people need a turnover of at least £6,500 a year
  • You have a physical or mental health condition or disability affecting your work

There is no means test, no upper income limit for employed people, and no effect on any other benefit.

How much

The annual cap is £69,260 per person. Most awards are much smaller: a chair, a screen reader, some hours of support, or taxi fares.

Your employer may be asked to contribute, particularly where the item is a reasonable adjustment they should be making anyway under the Equality Act. Small employers usually contribute nothing.

Making it work

Describe the barrier, not the diagnosis. “I cannot use public transport safely during a flare” is stronger than naming a condition.

Apply early. There is a queue, and applying while you are already struggling is worse than applying before.

Ask for what you need, not what you think will be approved. An assessor decides the amount.

Mental health support can only be claimed once, so use it when it will count.

Check your position with our Access to Work checker.

Common questions

Is Access to Work means tested?

No. Your income and savings are irrelevant, it does not affect any other benefit, and you never repay it. The only income condition applies to self-employed people, who need a turnover of at least £6,500 a year.

What is the maximum Access to Work grant?

£69,260 a year per person, frozen since 2024/25. Most awards are far smaller. The cap only bites for high-cost support such as a full-time British Sign Language interpreter.

Do I need to be diagnosed with something?

No. You need a physical or mental health condition or disability that affects your ability to do your job. That includes anxiety, ADHD, dyslexia, long COVID and chronic pain, which many people would not describe as a disability.

Can I apply before I start a job?

Yes, if you are starting or returning to paid work within 12 weeks. There is also separate support for communication at job interviews, which you can use with no job at all.

Sources

This page is general information about how care funding works in England. It is not financial, legal or medical advice, and it does not replace an assessment by your local council or the NHS. Carevo is not a care provider.