Work
Employment, self-employment, apprenticeships and some other paid work can qualify. Voluntary work does not.
Access to Work
Access to Work can fund extra support when disability or health creates a barrier at work.
The programme covers England, Scotland and Wales. It can help with practical support such as specialist equipment, support workers and extra travel costs, depending on the person's needs and circumstances.
Headline eligibility
Check the job, the work barrier and where the person lives and works.
Current GOV.UK guidance says applicants generally need to be 16 or over, in paid work or about to start or return within 12 weeks, and live and work in England, Scotland or Wales.
Barrier
The disability, illness or health condition must mean support is needed to do the job or get to and from work.
Location
The GOV.UK Access to Work scheme covers England, Scotland and Wales. Northern Ireland has a different system.
What support can look like
Start with the barrier, not a shopping list.
The support depends on what is needed to do the job or travel to work.
Examples listed by GOV.UK
Extra disability-related support
- specialist equipment or assistive software
- support workers, interpreters or job coaches
- extra travel costs when public transport is not usable
- vehicle adaptations or some workplace changes
Not a replacement for
Normal employer responsibilities
- reasonable adjustments the employer must make
- ordinary business equipment and running costs
- support unrelated to the disability or health barrier
Prepare the conversation
A Health Adjustment Passport can help organise the support you need.
Use it to record barriers, adjustments and support before or alongside an Access to Work application.
Free preparation checker
Check the headline route and build an application checklist.
The checker uses current published rules to flag obvious route issues and tailor what to prepare. It does not make an eligibility decision.
What GOV.UK asks for
Prepare the work barrier and the support need clearly.
Current application guidance asks for contact details, workplace address and postcode, information about how the condition affects work, the support the person thinks they need, and a workplace contact where relevant. Self-employed applicants are also asked for their UTR.
Guidance checked 3 October 2026. Access to Work rules and routes can change, so use GOV.UK for the final application decision.