Written evidence submitted by the Acccess to Work Collective, CIMR Birkbeck, University of London (EDS0016)

Our evidence relates specifically to the Access to Work Award, which encompasses your question below and, importantly, provides insight into the current and proposed cuts to the award, which are having a devastating impact not only on the individual’s health and well-being. But actually reversing the Access to Work benchmark of being the only government initiative since its inception in 1994 to sustainably reduce the disability employment gap.

● How successful has Access to Work been at supporting disabled people into work? How could it be improved?

We are submitting our evidence in the form of a previously unpublished White Paper and would be happy to provide further evidence should the committee feel it would be of value, as our campaign and research in this field is ongoing.

One of the key strengths of the Access to Work award has been that it sits outside the welfare benefits system and is not means-tested. Thus, up until the current and proposed cuts did not have the stigma and sanctions associated with other government initiatives to reduce the disability and employment gap, which have failed to achieve the same results.

ACCESS TO WORK COLLECTIVE WHITE PAPER

Access to Work: Providing Evidence Based Solutions to the

Sustainable Reduction of the Disability Employment Gap

The Access to Work Collective was formed in May 2025 by its co-founders, Dr Shani Dhanda and Jacqueline Winstanley FRSA, in response to the significant challenges disabled people were facing with their Access to Work awards alongside the current unofficial and proposed cuts. The Collective believes no one should be held back by barriers that can be removed. Its key priority is to make ‘Access to Work’ work for everyone who needs it by providing evidence-based solutions.

The Collective brings together disabled people, other organisations that represent them, employers, researchers, suppliers, manufacturers, academics and policymakers to raise awareness of the scheme, share solutions, support inclusive employment and self-employment, and reduce the disability and employment pay gaps.

The Collective, which represents approximately 4,000 Access to Work stakeholders and rising, recognises that the value of ethical collaboration between policy, practice, and academia has compiled this White Paper as our initial response to the questions, ‘How successful has Access to Work been at supporting disabled people into work? How could it be improved?’

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Access to Work is a publicly funded discretionary award that aims to help more disabled people start or stay in work. The award is available for both employed and self-employed roles. Recipients of the award highlight that when it works, it is game-changing and has been the only Treasury-funded initiative since its inception in 1994 to have sustainably reduced the disability employment gap with notable improvements in health and wellbeing.

It is also important that it is recognised that Access to Work is not a welfare response, but rather that it has an economic purpose alongside upholding the rights and protections of disabled people and one which has health and well-being outcomes.

Authoritative evidence from members of the Access to Work Collective surveys, the Road to Wonder study and other published reports points to the intent of the award, which has to date been envied worldwide.

However, the evidence portrays a significant detrimental shift both in the intent and administration of the award since 2024. The award is currently at its most conflicted within its administration, leaving it fractured and in need of emergency care with reports of unacceptable delays across the application, renewal, reconsideration and complaints procedures of over 6 months and in some cases 12 months. Fewer or smaller awards compared to previous years being awarded. Current and proposed cuts of between 40-60% of existing awards at renewal, with harmful consequences to the economy and individuals’ physical and mental health and wellbeing.

This White Paper provides unique insights into the role of Access to Work for both employed and self-employed disabled people based on data from two surveys and the individual responses of disabled workers, employers, support workers, suppliers, manufacturers and support organisations on what works, what doesn’t and how Access to Work can be improved so that it works for everyone.

It highlights the unique importance of the award for self-employed people who are major contributors to entrepreneurship and innovation in the UK economy. At the same time, it illustrates the bureaucratic barriers currently faced by both the employed and self-employed and other organisations involved in the Access to Work Award.

On the plus side, for those who receive the Award recommended by the Department for Work and Pensions, appointed holistic workplace assessor, it is meeting their needs. The problem lies in that Access to Work is failing in its purpose, which is to provide efficient access to resources which meet individual needs, enabling disabled people to engage in good work which contributes to the UK economy. Its administration is chaotic. Improvements in efficiency and in procurement would lead to saving money and time for all involved, and in turn, increased take-up.

A measure of success of any reform of the award would be an increased number of disabled people receiving an award which meets their individual needs, alongside eliminating the conflict which exists between the intent and its administration.

1. INTRODUCTION

Access to Work is a publicly funded discretionary award that aims to help more disabled people start or stay in work. The definition of work includes self-employment.

In the year 2023-2024, Access to Work provision was approved for 67,720 people, of which 98% had an “Element” approved. Of those 33,000 (49%) had a support worker, followed by special aids and equipment (27%), followed by mental health support service (21%) and travel to work.

Expenditure on Access to Work was nearly £258 million. Twice as many females as males received awards, with London and the South East being the regions with the biggest gainers in awards.

What the official data does not reveal is how many of the recipients were self-employed. This group is a major and increasing sector of the UK workforce.

The Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working Green Paper stated that almost a quarter (23%) of the working-age population is disabled, and there were almost 10 million disabled adults of working age in 2023/2024, over 40% more than in 2013/2014. Data from the Official Statistics: The employment of disabled people 2024 states that the proportion of disabled workers who are self-employed has decreased by 2.6 percentage points from 15.7% in 2013/14 to 13.0% in 2023/24. This compares to non-disabled workers, where the proportion has fallen by 1.6 percentage points from 13.5% to 11.9% over the same period.

2. THE EVIDENCE

Survey Rationale and Methodology

We conducted two separate surveys as part of our campaign work to improve and protect the Access to Work scheme:

Consultation Response Survey

This survey was created to gather collective input from our community in response to the government’s consultation on the future of Access to Work, which forms part of the Get Britain Working Green Paper. We used the same core questions from the official consultation to ensure alignment and relevance, enabling us to submit a robust, community-led response that reflects the real experiences of Access to Work users.

Impact Survey

The second survey aimed to capture the real-world impact of Access to Work, both the benefits it provides when it works well, and the consequences when it fails. This included responses from disabled people who use the scheme, employers who rely on it to support their staff, and suppliers who deliver its services. The intention was to build an evidence base showing just how critical Access to Work is to employment, inclusion, and business sustainability.

Methodology

Both surveys were built using Google Forms and distributed widely through our mailing list, social media platforms, and partner networks. We kept the questions clear and accessible, with separate versions tailored to individuals, employers, and suppliers.

Data Analysis

Responses were downloaded and analysed thematically. Quantitative responses were summarised using basic statistical analysis to highlight trends. Qualitative comments were grouped into key themes to reflect recurring issues, experiences, and insights. These findings helped shape our formal response to the consultation, our public messaging, and our engagement with policymakers.

3. SNAPSHOT IMPACT OF ACCESS TO WORK – THE POSITIVES

For many self-employed people, getting Access to Work support is a game-changer.

● 7 in 10 respondents (67%) said they probably or absolutely could not have attended a job interview, got into work, or stayed in work without Access to Work support.

● Nearly 9 in 10 (86%) of disabled people say Access to Work has a major impact on their ability to stay employed or to work for themselves.

● 100% of employers surveyed state that disabled staff could not do their jobs without Access to Work support.

● 78% of employers say Access to Work enabled them to hire disabled people by covering workplace adjustment costs.

4. SNAPSHOT IMPACT OF ACCESS TO WORK – THE NEGATIVES

● Severe delays: People are waiting months, even over a year, for assessments, approvals, and payments. These delays are stopping people from starting or staying in work, wasting resources.

● Financial harm: Many are forced to cover costs up front, go into debt, or turn down jobs because of delayed payments. Employers and suppliers are similarly affected.

● Systemic inconsistency: Similar requests can get vastly different outcomes with little explanation. Decisions seem arbitrary or poorly communicated.

● Personal burdens: Disabled individuals are being asked to manage complex paperwork, to chase missing responses, sometimes spending more time on admin than on their actual jobs, thereby wasting more resources.

● Small organisations at risk: SMEs, charities, and Disabled People’s Organisations struggle to meet access costs without support, despite already offering inclusive environments.

● Mental health impact: The stress of dealing with Access to Work is worsening people's wellbeing and driving some to leave work altogether.

● Poor communication: The system is difficult to contact, lacks accessible communication methods, and provides inconsistent advice.

● Support providers leaving: Interpreters, support workers, and others are stopping work with Access to Work clients due to late payments and unsustainable rates, so low they fall below minimum wage, an illegal practice.

5. WHAT IS NEEDED

● Employment of more staff to clear the backlog within applications, renewals and payments.

● Reform of the Access to Work Award co-designed with disabled people

● A culture of dignity, trust, and inclusion, not suspicion and red tape.

● A faster, more responsive, simpler and fairer system with proper resourcing.

● Much clearer guidance, more accessible information and guidance for both applicants and employers.

● Greater transparency and consistency in decision-making.

● New training and support materials for staff, for example, online tutorials.

● More standardisation of application processes.

● Clearer up to date, more accessible information and guidance for both users and employers.

● Long-term, bespoke, flexible, efficient support that adapts to changing needs and evolving work patterns.

6. RECOMMENDATIONS

Disabled people want to work in an employed or self-employed role. The system that should be making that feasible is repetitious, ponderous, unreliable and out of date. Processes and administrative aspects need to be reorganised through a co-design process with disabled people and other stakeholders.

● Halt all current unofficial and proposed cuts pending reform of the Access to Work award.

● Immediate triage of backlogs and urgent cases, with transparent performance tracking.

● A full overhaul of the Access to Work award rules and processes co-designed with disabled people, built around the realities of modern work (including freelance, hybrid, and all industries).

● Improved training on the rights protections and effective service provision for disabled people.

● Consistency among case managers and decision-makers.

● Weighting should be given to the holistic workplace assessors' recommendations when case managers are making decisions.

● Commitment to clear communication and accountability for all users and suppliers.

● Access to Work should fully recognise and resource disabled people running their own businesses.

The message from our community is clear: Access to Work is essential. Reform must begin not with cost-cutting, but with listening to those it is meant to serve.

7. REFERENCES

Brewer, G.; Dimitriadi, Y.; Doddato, F.; Haroon, H.; Jolly, J.; Leigh, J.*; Mahaut-Smith, M.; Remnant, J.; Sarju, J. (2025) Towards a fully inclusive environment for disabled people in STEMM: A NADSN White paper” Report number: 10.22024/UniKent/01.02.109489. National Association for Disabled Staff Networks (NADSN), 59 pp. (doi:10.22024/UniKent/01.02.109489) (KAR id:109489)

DWP (2024) The employment of disabled people 2024 - GOV.UK] https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/the-employment-of-disabled-people-2024/the-employment-of-disabled-people-2024#wh-at (Updated June 2025)

DWP (2025a) Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working Green Paper https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/pathways-to-work-reforming-benefits-and-support-to-get-britain-working-green-paper/pathways-to-work-reforming-benefits-and-support-to-get-britain-working-green-paper

DWP (2025b) A ccess to Work statistics: April 2007 to March 2024 - GOV.UK Access to Work statistics: April 2007 to March 2024 - GOV.UK

The Deaf Health Charity SignHealth (2025) Reform, not cuts: our vision for Access to Work https://signhealth.org.uk/resources/reform-not-cuts-our-vision-for-access-to-work/

Holland, P., Molyneux, C., & Winstanley, J. (2025). Navigating serial inequities: the unmet support needs of disabled entrepreneurs. Disability & Society, 1–23. https://doi.org/10.1080/09687599.2025.2450529

Lawton Smith, H., Winstanley, J., et al. (2023) The Road to Wonder. A study exploring the barriers and opportunities to creating innovation and enterprise by disabled people. Oxford, UK: Innovation Caucus.

Work Foundation (2025) Beyond the Office? Disabled workers’ experiences of remote and hybrid work https://www.lancaster.ac.uk/work-foundation/publications/beyond-the-office

AUTHOR BIOGRAPHIES

Jacqueline Winstanley FRSA is Founder and CEO of Universal Inclusion and the Inclusive Entrepreneur Network. She has influenced significant changes in government policy in the UK and internationally as a direct result of her clarity of vision in this area, setting up and providing Secretariat for the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Inclusive Entrepreneurship, which was combined with the APPG for Disability. She is a Visiting Fellow and Entrepreneur in Residence at the Centre for Innovation Management Research (CIMR). Co-authored the Road to Wonder study and the Work Foundation’s Beyond the Office? Disabled workers’ experiences of remote and hybrid work study and Lancaster University’s study Navigating serial inequities: the unmet support needs of disabled entrepreneurs. Her interest remains the global impact of effectively resourcing disabled people to become entrepreneurs and the socio-economic benefits beyond individual endeavours, including on positive health and wellbeing. universal.inclusion@icloud.com

Helen Lawton Smith, FAcSS, FRSA, SFHEA, is Professor of Entrepreneurship, School of Business, Birkbeck, University of London. She is the Director of the Centre for Innovation Management Research. Her research career has focused on the links between entrepreneurship, innovation, public policy and regional development in national and international contexts. Her research focuses on innovation in emerging technologies and on geographies of support for minority innovative entrepreneurship. Her recent research with Jacqueline Winstanley was funded by Innovate UK and the Innovation Caucus. The resulting 2023 report, The Road to Wonder, analyses the challenges and opportunities facing disabled entrepreneurs in the context of the implementation of UK equality, diversity and inclusion policies towards supporting innovation and entrepreneurship. H.lawton-smith@bbk.ac.uk

Dr Shani Dhanda is internationally recognised for her work in inclusion, accessibility, and disability equity. Named one of Forbes’ 100 Accessibility Leaders, a BBC 100 Women Laureate and the UK’s most influential disabled person, her work bridges policy, practice, and innovation, advising over 400 organisations on embedding accessibility across business, design, media and communication.

Shani holds advisory positions on eight national and industry boards, serves as an ambassador for five leading disability organisations, and works with the UK Government’s Disability Unit on policy development. Her contributions support research and systemic change to advance inclusion across both public and private sectors. She played a key role in a national Virgin Media - Scope disability charity partnership that delivered employment support to over one million disabled people over three years.

She is the founder of the Asian Woman Festival and the Asian Disability Network, both focused on driving intersectional representation and social change. A regular broadcaster on TV and radio, she also consults with media outlets to embed authentic disability representation in storytelling. Her public engagement spans global platforms including the United Nations, World Expos, and TEDx.

Recognised with over 30 awards for leadership and innovation, Shani’s work continues to shape the future of accessibility. hello@shanidhanda.com

September 2025