Access to Work

Access to Work is a government-funded scheme that provides a grant to cover the costs of practical support if you have a disability, health condition, or a learning difficulty like dyslexia, to help you get, stay, or return to work or start a business.

Eligibility

To be eligible for an Access to Work grant, you must:

• Have a disability, health condition (including dyslexia or other neurodivergent conditions like ADHD), or a mental health condition that affects your ability to do your job or get to and from work.
• Be 16 or over.
• Be in paid work (or about to start/return to paid work in the next 12 weeks), or be self-employed.
• Live and work in England, Scotland, or Wales (there’s a different system in Northern Ireland).
• You do not need a formal diagnosis to apply, but being able to explain how your dyslexia affects your work is essential.

Types of Support Available for Dyslexia

The grant can pay for a variety of support tailored to your specific needs, which often include:

Access to Work Application Process

The application process must be initiated by the employee (or job candidate)—your employer cannot apply for you.

Step 1: Preliminary Discussions (Recommended)

It is recommended that you talk to your employer (e.g., your manager or HR) about your dyslexia and discuss what Reasonable Adjustments they can make first. Access to Work only funds support beyond these basic, legally required adjustments. You’ll also need a workplace contact’s details for your application.

Step 2: Apply for the Grant

You can apply for the Access to Work grant either online or by phone through the government’s website or helpline.

You’ll need to provide:

• Your contact details.
• Your workplace address and postcode.
• The name, email address, and phone number of a workplace contact.
• Information on how your dyslexia affects your work and what support you think you need.
• If self-employed, your Unique Taxpayer Reference (UTR) number.

Step 3: Assessment (Workplace Needs Assessment)

An Access to Work adviser will contact you to discuss your application. If they decide you are eligible, they may arrange a Workplace Needs Assessment (WNA).

• A professional assessor (often a specialist in dyslexia) will visit you in your workplace (or conduct a remote assessment).
• The assessor will observe your tasks, discuss your difficulties, and then produce a detailed report with recommendations for equipment, training, or support workers.

Step 4: Grant Decision

The Access to Work case worker will review the assessment report and decide on the support package and the maximum grant award.

• You and your employer will receive a grant letter detailing the support approved and the amount of funding.
• Funding levels vary. If you have been in the job for less than six weeks, or are self-employed, Access to Work may cover 100% of the costs. If you have been employed for longer, your employer may have to contribute a share of the costs for certain items like specialist equipment.

Step 5: Purchase and Claim

• Your employer usually purchases the recommended equipment or services and then claims the costs back from Access to Work.
• You or your employer must complete the claim forms (with invoices/receipts) and send them to Access to Work for reimbursement. You typically have nine months to claim for costs.

It is important to apply for Access to Work as soon as possible, as funding will only be valid from the date you submit your application and will not pay for costs incurred before this date.