The last month or so has been a bit of a lesson in capacity, whether I wanted the lesson or not.
My fatigue has been noticeably worse recently, and I’ve managed much less work than I had optimistically planned. The last couple of weeks in particular have been quite difficult. If you’re currently waiting on a reply from me and wondering whether I’ve forgotten you, I probably haven’t. I’m just moving much more slowly than I’d like to.
Part of this may well be linked to attending the Leeds Disability Studies Conference in April. I had a genuinely brilliant time, met lots of lovely people and came away with pages of notes, ideas and things to think about. But I also slightly underestimated what it would cost me physically and cognitively.
I haven’t been to an academic conference in a very long time, and I’d forgotten that they involve approximately 47 decisions a day. Every session involved choosing between multiple rooms, topics and speakers, and by the end, I was outsourcing decision-making to friends on WhatsApp because my brain had essentially given up. There was also something slightly ironic about spending several days discussing concepts like “crip time” while simultaneously trying to sprint between sessions and avoid missing anything because everyone had travelled so far and paid so much to be there.
I also had a really interesting conversation this morning with Catherine Hale about energy-limiting conditions and the slow process of accepting that no amount of software, productivity systems or clever strategies can fully overcome having significantly reduced capacity. That’s not a particularly cheerful realisation, but it is probably an honest one.
On a much lighter note, one of our neighbours’ cats appears to have semi-adopted us since we lost our own cat in December. She lets herself in through the cat flap, plays with an old catnip mouse, disappears into mysterious corners of the house and periodically gives herself away with a tiny bell noise when we thought she’d gone home hours ago. We have reassured the neighbours that we are not attempting organised cat theft.
Work-wise, I’m also pleased that the Access to Work Practitioner Network has now had its first monthly meeting. It was really valuable to bring together people working across different parts of the AtW ecosystem to compare what we’re all seeing in practice.
Quick tips
1. Be explicit about the reasonable adjustments you need from the Access to Work process
If you are making a new application, use the contact section and additional information box to clearly explain any adjustments you need in order to engage with the process itself.
This is particularly important around communication.
Common requests include:
- advance notice of phone calls
- permission to record calls
- email instead of phone communication
- email instead of postal communication
- extra time to send evidence or paperwork
Do not assume staff will automatically understand what barriers exist for you. Explain clearly what support or flexibility would help you engage with the process effectively.
2. Create an evidence pack for new applications, renewals and reconsiderations
Don’t wait for Access to Work to ask for specific information. Think proactively about what you want the Case Manager to understand about your work, barriers and support needs.
This might include:
- a cover letter summarising key points
- a Support Worker Record of Tasks form
- taxi information
- quotes
- an impact statement
- supporting letters from colleagues, family members or support workers
A structured evidence pack can help make sure important information is available throughout the process, including if you later need to request a reconsideration.
Latest Access to Work updates
15 April 2026 – Westminster Hall debate on Access to Work
A short Westminster Hall debate on Access to Work took place on 15 April. While attendance was relatively limited, several points raised during the debate were noteworthy.
The minister stated that 96% of applications from people starting work within four weeks were allocated within 28 days during 2025.
He also stated:
“There will be policy changes, but they have not happened yet.”
That clarification feels significant given ongoing concerns within the disabled community about how Access to Work is currently operating in practice, and repeated questions about whether policy changes have already been introduced informally.
The debate also included confirmation that the DWP is working on new digital functionality that would allow Access to Work documents to be uploaded online rather than posted.
Read the debate here: Hansard – Access to Work Scheme debate
April 2026 – Parliamentary questions continue
There continues to be significant parliamentary interest in Access to Work, with MPs submitting questions relating to complaints, payment processing and operational delivery.
One written answer provided data on complaint volumes, which may help build a clearer picture of how many formal complaints are currently being raised about the scheme.
Another answer discussed payment processing times. While payment turnaround appears to have improved overall, I am still regularly hearing from individuals and providers experiencing much longer delays in practice.
You can browse parliamentary questions and answers here: UK Parliament Questions and Statements
April 2026 – Access to Work recruiting 360 new Case Managers
The DWP is recruiting 360 new Access to Work Case Managers near Leeds.
Overall, I think this is positive news. Increased staffing should help reduce waiting times and improve operational capacity.
However, the recruitment process has also raised questions within the disabled community about disability expertise and accessibility. The job description and person specification do not appear to mention disability knowledge or lived experience as either essential or desirable, despite the role involving complex decision-making about disabled people’s support needs.
There were also concerns about accessibility of the mandatory full-time, office-based training period.
Following discussion online, I submitted two related FOI requests:
- one asking for information about disability-related training materials and syllabus content
- one asking about staff turnover and staffing levels
Read the recruitment advert here: Access to Work EO Case Manager recruitment
Training FOI: FOI – Access to Work EO Case Manager training
Staff turnover FOI: FOI – Access to Work staff turnover
FOIs relating to communication, accessibility and operational transparency
I received two significant Freedom of Information responses this month.
The first related to communication with third-party representatives and included six documents covering policies, guidance and training materials.
Crucially, the documents appear to confirm that Access to Work staff can communicate with both official and informal representatives in many circumstances without the customer being physically present during the call.
This is important because many disabled people rely on support from friends, family members, advocates, support workers or practitioners to navigate the system.
Read the FOI request and documents here: FOI – Third-party representatives
The second response related to reasonable adjustments and communication accessibility within Access to Work.
The response included documents relating to:
- reasonable adjustment policies
- customer accessibility
- use of email as a reasonable adjustment
The documents were interesting and useful, but they did not fully explain the operational process by which customers can request, access and maintain adjustments across different parts of Access to Work.
From casework, we are increasingly seeing evidence that there may now be separate teams dealing with reasonable adjustments and with cases where two-way email communication has been agreed. However, the practical process remains unclear and inconsistent.
Read the FOI request and documents here: FOI – Reasonable adjustments and accessibility
Two additional FOIs submitted by others are also worth noting.
One explored decisions relating to textphone numbers and accessibility for d/Deaf customers contacting DWP phone lines, including Access to Work: FOI – textphone numbers and accessibility
Another ongoing FOI is attempting to obtain the current Access to Work Standard Operating Procedure. So far, annexes have been released but not the main document itself: FOI – Access to Work Standard Operating Procedure
April 2026 – Community helpline dataset launched
I have launched the first in what I hope will become a series of open “Community Datasets” relating to Access to Work.
The first project is a Helpline Issues Log where people can record what happens when they try to contact the Access to Work helpline, including both successful and unsuccessful attempts.
The aim is to build a long-term evidence base around patterns, accessibility issues and operational problems.
You can contribute to the dataset here: Access to Work Helpline Issues Log form
The live dataset is available here: Access to Work Helpline Issues dataset
Potential judicial review cases being explored
Bindmans LLP are currently exploring possible judicial review test cases relating to Access to Work cuts and lack of reasonable adjustments to the process.
At this stage, this is exploratory and there is no guarantee that any judicial review will proceed or succeed.
They are particularly interested in people who:
- have experienced severe cuts or removal of support
- have already completed reconsideration
- are eligible for Legal Aid
- and whose ability to remain in work has been significantly affected
The timescales for judicial review are very tight, so identifying suitable cases early is important.
If this may apply to you, or you are a practitioner supporting someone in this situation, feel free to contact me and I can discuss whether an introduction would be appropriate.
Information about Legal Aid eligibility is available here: Legal Aid financial eligibility
Channel 4 research into Access to Work payment issues
Journalist Lucinda Borrell is currently researching a Channel 4 piece relating to delayed or incorrect Access to Work payments affecting supported employment providers.
She is looking to speak to providers who may be willing to contribute background information or potentially participate on the record.
I’ve spoken with her several times and feel confident that she is approaching the issue seriously and thoughtfully.
If you think this may be relevant to you or your organisation, feel free to contact me and I can make an introduction.
Reconsideration wait times appear to be reducing
One genuinely positive operational change is that reconsideration wait times appear to have reduced significantly.
Until relatively recently, it was common for reconsideration requests to take around nine months. We are now increasingly seeing decisions returned in under three months.
This is a substantial improvement in terms of certainty and responsiveness.
However, many negative decisions are still being upheld at reconsideration, so at the moment this appears to be more a change in speed than in decision quality.
Simply click the blue text above to read each article.
What’s coming up in May to July
Below are some public events I’ll be attending or contributing to over the next few months.
Events I’ll be attending
If you’re attending any of these events and spot me wandering around looking slightly overwhelmed but enthusiastic, please do come and say hello.
14 May – Bristol Business Expo
I’ll be attending the Bristol Business Expo to meet local businesses and explore possible collaborations and networking opportunities.
More information: Bristol Business Expo
15 May – DeafEXPO, Birmingham NEC
I’ll be attending the first day of DeafEXPO as part of my ongoing effort to better understand the barriers, communication needs and support experiences of d/Deaf people.
More information: DeafEXPO
20 May – AT Train Assessors Day, Birmingham
A free event aimed at workplace assessors, DSA assessors, HR professionals and disability support staff.
More information: AT Train Assessors Day registration
21 May – TechEdology AT Brunch, Birmingham
A free half-day assistive technology networking and demonstration event.
More information: TechEdology AT Brunch
3 June – CPD Rev Bristol
An event focused on disability support, workplace assessments and higher education support services.
More information: CPD Rev Bristol
10–11 June – CIPD Festival of Work, London
A major event for HR and workplace professionals focused on work, wellbeing and organisational practice.
More information: CIPD Festival of Work
25 June – Vocational Rehabilitation Association annual conference, London
A conference exploring transitions through work, health and vocational rehabilitation practice.
More information: VRA Annual Conference
7 July – Sight Village Birmingham
Another event I’m attending as part of developing my understanding of visual impairment, assistive technology and accessibility.
More information: Sight Village events
Events I’ll be delivering
21 May – Access to Work: Navigating the Process with Confidence
A joint webinar with Everway and neurobox focused on Access to Work implementation in practice, not just funding approval.
We’ll be discussing:
- how support is implemented inside organisations
- common operational problems
- assistive technology
- practical realities for employers and disabled staff
Free registration: Webinar registration
28 May – Access to Work Practitioner Network monthly meeting
The Access to Work Practitioner Network is a discussion-based space for people who work regularly with Access to Work to compare experiences, identify patterns and discuss systemic issues.
Request membership: Practitioner Network membership form
Book a place: Practitioner Network Eventbrite
NeuroRocket Access to Work sessions
Upcoming sessions include:
- 29 May – Preparing to meet your Case Manager
- 12 June – Before you apply
- 10 July – Before you apply
- 31 July – Using and managing your grant
Book here: NeuroRocket Access to Work sessions
30 June and 27 July – Access to Work Practitioner Network monthly meetings
Further monthly Practitioner Network meetings will take place at the end of June and July.
2 July – BATA AGM, London
I’ll be giving a short presentation on Access to Work reform and operational changes at the British Assistive Technology Association AGM.
Simply click the blue text above for more information about the events listed or to register/book tickets.
Spotlight on… Visual impairment and assistive technology webinars
Over the last few months, I’ve been trying to spend more time learning about visual impairment, accessibility and assistive technology. One thing I’ve found particularly useful is the number of detailed webinars and archived sessions available online.
These resources are not necessarily beginner-friendly and I haven’t comprehensively reviewed or vetted the organisations involved. But I have personally found the content rich, practical and genuinely useful.
They also approach accessibility from slightly different perspectives, which I think is valuable.
A large archive of webinars relating to screen readers, accessibility and assistive technology. One recent session I found particularly interesting was: Plan, Organize, and Complete Projects with AI
Sight and Sound Technology YouTube channel
Includes archived webinars and demonstrations relating to assistive technology and accessibility.
I recently watched this webinar on split braille: Split braille webinar
National Federation of the Blind webinar archive
Based in the US, but they run a huge range of events and discussions that can often be joined remotely in the evening UK time.
One session I attended live last year and found particularly useful was: Document Accessibility Boutique
Simply click the blue text above to find out more about each webinar.
Working with me and Mel – Access to Work renewal support
More and more people are contacting us for support specifically around Access to Work renewals.
Renewals are becoming increasingly complex and stressful, particularly for people who have previously experienced cuts, delays or difficult interactions with the system.
While some people only need a one-off advice session, many benefit from a more structured approach spread across several weeks or months.
A typical process might look something like this:
- Initial 1-hour advice session (£45), ideally 2+ months before renewal
- Time spent preparing agreed materials and evidence (often 2–6 weeks)
- Review and feedback on documents (for example 5 hours = £200)
- Further redrafting and refinement
- Final review and follow-up call (for example 2 hours = £80)
In this example, the total cost would be around £325.
That said, we can adapt the level of support depending on your needs, confidence, complexity and budget. Some people only need:
- one initial advice session
- plus a small amount of follow-up review
For example:
- 1-hour advice session
- plus 2 hours of review and feedback
would cost around £125 in total.
The aim is not to promise a particular outcome, but to help people:
- understand the current landscape
- prepare strategically
- identify likely challenges
- and present evidence clearly
Both Mel and I provide renewal support. Generally, whoever you start the process with should remain your main contact throughout the process, although I always maintain oversight of any feedback Mel provides.
Book an initial session with either Mel or me below.
Mel: 60-minute advice session with Mel
Alice: 60-minute advice session with Alice
Simply click the blue text above to find out more.
That’s all for now
See you next month,
Alice 😊
P.S. Missed an issue of the newsletter? You can catch up in my newsletter archive.