Welcome to my June newsletter.
The end of May brought a heatwave that absolutely wiped me out.
For several days, I seemed to spend most of my time trying to manage my temperature, apologising for sweating through meetings and attempting to keep my brain functioning in an office that was far too hot. By the end of it, I had created a makeshift bed downstairs where it was cooler and was essentially just trying to survive until the weather became reasonable again.
It was also my Mum’s birthday during the heatwave. Normally we’d have gone out somewhere, but instead we spent the day with all the curtains closed, eating nice food and watching television. It felt a bit like Christmas Day, except much warmer. Very much not my Mum’s usual idea of a good time, but I think she quite enjoyed it as a one-off.
May also marked the end of my Access to Work Support Worker funding. After a lot of thought, I decided not to renew it. Increasingly, I found it difficult to separate my own experiences of relying on Access to Work from my work supporting other people through the process. I’ve built systems that I hope will help me manage without that support, although I know it won’t always be easy.
On a more positive note, I spent a lot of May learning. I attended DeafEXPO, the AT Train Assessors Day and TechEdology’s AT Brunch in Birmingham. DeafEXPO was a particular highlight, and I came away with pages of notes, new perspectives and useful conversations about interpreting, translation services and Access to Work.
June will be a slightly quieter month. The wonderful Mel is taking a well-earned month off, and I’m also looking forward to a few days away for my birthday later in the month.
Quick tips
You have a right to a Workplace Needs Assessment
If you do not know exactly what support you need from Access to Work, ask your Case Manager to refer you for a Workplace Needs Assessment as soon as you are allocated.
A Workplace Needs Assessment can help identify barriers, explore possible solutions and recommend support. Do not assume that a referral will happen automatically. If you think an assessment would be helpful, ask for one.
Try calling the helpline at 9am
Many people report having the best chance of getting through to the Access to Work helpline when lines first open at 9am.
The helpline continues to experience significant problems, but if you need to call, contacting them as soon as lines open may improve your chances of getting through.
Latest Access to Work updates
Access to Work helpline problems continue
One of the issues I am hearing about most often at the moment is the Access to Work helpline.
Over the last couple of months, I have seen a growing number of cases where individuals and employers are being asked to provide information by telephone within relatively short timescales, often 5-10 working days. However, many are then struggling to get through to the helpline at all, experiencing repeated disconnections or spending significant amounts of time trying unsuccessfully to make contact.
In some cases, people have been warned that applications may be closed or decisions made without their input if the requested information is not provided within the specified timeframe.
What concerns me most is that this does not appear to be affecting a small number of people. Similar reports are coming from disabled people, employers, support providers and practitioners across the country.
We continue to raise these issues through every route available to us. However, it is also important that we build evidence showing the scale and impact of the problem.
If you have experienced difficulties contacting the Access to Work helpline, please consider completing the Access to Work Helpline Issues Log. The information collected helps demonstrate patterns of service failure and may also be useful in supporting individual complaints where someone has been unable to engage with Access to Work despite repeated attempts.
Open the Access to Work Helpline Issues Log here
Access to Work Practitioner Network highlights recurring concerns
The Access to Work Practitioner Network held its second monthly meeting in May, bringing together support providers, workplace adjustment specialists, assessors, consultants and supported employment professionals from across the country.
One of the most valuable things about the network is the opportunity to compare experiences and identify patterns. A problem that looks isolated within one organisation can sometimes turn out to be affecting dozens of people across multiple regions.
Many of the themes discussed during the May meeting will be familiar to regular readers of this newsletter. Helpline reliability remained a major concern, alongside reports of reductions in Support Worker funding, difficulties accessing Workplace Needs Assessments, payment delays and questions about staffing and retention within Access to Work.
There was also considerable discussion about reconsiderations, complaints and possible legal challenges, reflecting the increasing amount of time and effort many disabled people are having to invest simply to access support they have already been assessed as needing.
While the network is still relatively new, it is already proving invaluable as a way of identifying emerging issues, sharing information and understanding what is happening across the wider Access to Work landscape.
Concerns about Workplace Needs Assessments
Another issue I am watching closely is a growing number of reports that Access to Work is progressing applications without first arranging a Workplace Needs Assessment.
Instead, some applicants are being asked to provide their own list of support requirements, together with justifications and quotes. Others are being asked to provide a recent Occupational Health report or Workplace Needs Assessment.
This is potentially concerning because many people will not already have a suitable assessment available. More importantly, many people will not know what support they need, what options exist, or how to identify appropriate solutions without specialist input.
Current Access to Work guidance is clear that Workplace Needs Assessments are available and that applicants who request one should be referred.
At the moment, it is difficult to know whether these reports reflect a localised operational issue, a temporary capacity problem, or a wider change in practice. However, it is something I am hearing about increasingly often and will be monitoring closely over the coming months.
If you feel that a Workplace Needs Assessment would help identify your support needs, I would encourage you to ask for one rather than assuming Access to Work will automatically make a referral.
Questions about staffing, turnover and recruitment
In May, the Government announced plans to recruit around 500 additional staff to support Access to Work.
On the face of it, increased staffing is positive news. Most people would agree that Access to Work needs additional capacity if it is going to reduce waiting times and improve service delivery.
However, a recent Freedom of Information response raised some important questions about the longer-term picture.
Using staffing figures provided in a recent FOI response, I calculated that Access to Work staff turnover between May 2025 and April 2026 may have been around 11-12%. While the figures are not directly comparable, this is noticeably higher than the turnover rates reported for both the wider DWP and the Civil Service.
The same FOI response also showed around 110 temporary DWP staff working within Access to Work at the time the data was supplied.
Taken together, these figures suggest that recruitment is only part of the story. Retention matters too.
Over the last year, many of us have spoken to Case Managers who appear to be working under significant pressure. This is observation rather than formal research, but high caseloads, continual process changes and difficult conversations with distressed customers are themes that come up repeatedly.
Disabled people benefit from knowledgeable, experienced staff who are able to build expertise and remain in role. The staff themselves also deserve working conditions that are sustainable.
For me, the key question is not simply how many people are recruited, but how many remain in post long enough to build knowledge, confidence and experience.
Delayed payments highlighted by Channel 4 News
Channel 4 News recently reported on delayed Access to Work payments affecting organisations supporting disabled people.
The investigation found that charities and support providers were collectively owed more than £1 million in delayed payments, with some outstanding invoices dating back to summer 2024.
The report was produced by journalist Lucinda Borrell and included an interview with Disability Minister Stephen Timms, who committed to looking into the issue.
Reconsideration times continue to improve
One genuinely positive development is that reconsideration requests appear to be moving much more quickly than they were a few months ago.
Not long ago, it was common for people to wait around nine months for a reconsideration decision. Increasingly, I am now seeing decisions returned within a matter of weeks.
This does not necessarily mean that more decisions are being overturned. Many reconsiderations are still resulting in the original decision being upheld.
However, receiving a final answer more quickly is still a significant improvement. It allows people to make informed decisions about next steps, whether that means accepting the decision, gathering further evidence, making a complaint or exploring other options.
Reasonable adjustments and Access to Work are not the same thing
A recent Employment Tribunal decision included an interesting discussion about the relationship between reasonable adjustments and Access to Work.
The Tribunal considered whether an employer could effectively delay consideration of reasonable adjustments until an Access to Work application had been made or processed. The judgment suggests that this is not an adequate response to an employer’s duty to consider and implement reasonable adjustments.
In practical terms, the case reinforces an important point that often gets lost in discussions about workplace support: reasonable adjustments and Access to Work are related, but they are not the same thing.
Employers remain responsible for considering reasonable adjustments under the Equality Act. Access to Work may provide additional support or funding, but it does not replace an employer’s responsibilities.
The judgment is specific to the facts of that particular case and should not be treated as legal advice. However, it is likely to be of interest to employers, HR professionals and disabled employees alike.
FOI, transparency and parliamentary scrutiny
A number of further FOIs and parliamentary questions were published during May.
These included requests relating to Access to Work communication methods, ongoing attempts to obtain the Access to Work Standard Operating Procedure, and a request exploring wheelchair provision through the scheme.
While none contained particularly significant new disclosures, they continue to add to our understanding of how Access to Work operates in practice.
Parliamentary interest in the scheme also remains high, with a number of written questions submitted during the month, although many of the responses indicated that the requested information was not held or not readily available.
Further reading:
Access to Work communication methods
Access to Work Standard Operating Procedure
Provision of wheelchairs through Access to Work
UK Parliament Questions and Statements
Simply click the blue text above to read each article.
What’s coming up in June and July
Below are some public events I’ll be attending or contributing to over the next few months.
Events I’ll be attending
One of the things I value most about attending events is the opportunity to learn from people whose experiences and expertise differ from my own.
If you’re attending any of these events and spot me wandering around looking slightly overwhelmed but enthusiastic, please do come and say hello.
10-11 June – CIPD Festival of Work, London
A major event for HR and workplace professionals focused on work, wellbeing and organisational practice.
Find out more here: https://www.festivalofwork.com/
25 June – Vocational Rehabilitation Association Annual Conference, London
A conference exploring work, health and vocational rehabilitation practice.
7 July – Sight Village Birmingham
I’m attending as part of my ongoing effort to better understand visual impairment, assistive technology and accessibility.
Find out more about Sight Village here
Events I’ll be delivering
12 June – NeuroRocket: Access to Work – Before You Apply
A free introductory session for people considering an Access to Work application.
30 June – Access to Work Practitioner Network
A discussion-based space for people who work regularly with Access to Work to compare experiences, identify patterns and discuss systemic issues.
2 July – BATA AGM, London
I’ll be providing an update on recent Access to Work developments and operational changes.
10 July – NeuroRocket: Access to Work – Before You Apply
27 July – Access to Work Practitioner Network
31 July – NeuroRocket: Using and Managing Your Grant
A practical session for people who already have an Access to Work award and want to better understand how to use and manage their grant.
Booking links:
Access to Work Practitioner Network
Simply click the blue text above for more information about the events listed or to register/book tickets.
Spotlight on… SensePilot
One of the most interesting things I saw at the AT Train Assessors Day in May was SensePilot.
SensePilot is a hands-free computer control system that uses a standard webcam to track head movements, allowing users to control their computer without a traditional mouse. When combined with voice control and dictation software, it has the potential to offer a powerful alternative to mouse and keyboard input for some people.
What particularly caught my attention was how accessible the technology felt. Previously, most head-tracking systems I had encountered relied on specialist hardware and often came with a significant price tag. SensePilot works with standard webcams and is available as a subscription service, making it much more accessible to try.
I was able to have a quick go myself, although unfortunately, the demonstration was taking place inside Minecraft. As someone who has never played Minecraft, I spent most of the experience trying to work out what was happening rather than evaluating the technology.
I’ve since signed up for the 30-day free trial and am looking forward to exploring it further.
I’ve only used the software for a few minutes and haven’t tested it in a workplace setting. However, it is one of the more interesting pieces of assistive technology I’ve come across recently, and I thought it was worth sharing.
If this type of technology would help you carry out your job, it is also the sort of support that may potentially be funded through Access to Work, depending on individual circumstances.
Find out more by clicking the links below:
https://sensepilot.tech/pricing
Simply click the blue text above to find out more.
Working with me – Workplace Needs Assessments
If you’re unsure what support someone needs at work, a Workplace Needs Assessment can help identify barriers, explore possible solutions and provide clear recommendations.
My assessments are designed for disabled employees, employers and HR professionals who want practical, evidence-based recommendations tailored to a specific role and working environment.
The assessment process includes gathering background information, discussing the individual’s role and experiences, exploring workplace barriers and considering a range of possible adjustments, support strategies, assistive technology and Access to Work-funded support where appropriate.
Following the assessment, I provide a detailed written report containing recommendations for both the employer and employee.
Workplace Needs Assessments start from £500.
Find out more: Workplace Needs Assessments
Simply click the blue text above to find out more.
That’s all for now
As always, thank you to everyone who shares information, experiences, FOIs, parliamentary questions and casework insights. The newsletter is better because so many people are willing to contribute what they’re seeing and experiencing.
See you next month,
Alice
P.S. If you’ve experienced problems contacting the Access to Work helpline, please do consider completing the Helpline Issues Log. The more evidence we can gather, the easier it becomes to demonstrate the scale and impact of the problem.
P.S. Missed an issue of the newsletter? You can catch up in my newsletter archive.