Access to Work (AtW) can help individuals if their health or disability affects the way they do their job. They can give you and your manager advice and support with the extra costs of reasonable adjustment which would be over and above those that the University (as your employer) would provide.
SUMMARY
Full details about access to work can be found below.
Contact Access to Work | AtW Categories | AtW Grant | Application Process | Qualifying Criertia
If you feel that the type of work you do is affected by a disability or health condition that is likely to last for 12 months or more, then you can contact Access to Work to check if you are eligible for support on:
| Telephone | 0345 268 8489 |
| Textphone | 0345 608 8753 |
| atwosu.london@dwp.gsi.gov.uk | |
| Website | https://www.gov.uk/access-to-work/overview |
| Address | Operational Support Unit Harrow Jobcentre Plus Mail Handling Site A Wolverhampton WV98 1JE |
Remember, only you (the employee) can contact Access to Work. The University can not do this for you.
Access to Work might pay towards the equipment needed at work, adapting premises or a support worker. Specifically there are 6 elements that AtW might provide support on:
| AtW Categories | Summary |
|---|---|
| Communication Support at Interview (CSI) | CSI helps with the cost of employing an interpreter or communicator for a job interview when a person would find it difficult to understand or to make themselves understood. This is generally used by hearing-impaired people but is available to anyone who has a disability which affects their ability to communicate. |
| Travel to work | Travel to Work can provide short or long term financial assistance to disable people who incur extra costs in travelling to and from work because of their disability. It is used to reimburse an agreed portion of the costs of taxis or adaptions to vehicles. |
| Support Workder (SW) | AtW offers financial help to cover the full cost of providing a Support Worker (SW) in the workplace. SW examples include British Sign Language (BSL) Interpreter, Carer, Counsellor, Job Coach and Note Taker. |
| Adaptations to premises and equipment | Help is available to pay the additional costs to modify an employer’s premises or equipment to allow a disabled person to work and stay in work. Examples include ramps for wheelchairs, lifts and upgrades of computers and other equipment. |
| Special Aids and Equipment | Help is available for disabled people to buy specialised aids and equipment, but only for employment purposes. A special aid is any item that a disabled person needs to do a job which a person without a disability would not need to do the same job |
| Miscellaneous (including extra in work travel costs) | The Miscellaneous support classification is only to be used for short term or one off support and which does not come under any other elements or extra in work travel costs. |
The level of grant Access to Work will award depends on:
Access to Work will consider paying grants of up to 100% for:
Access to Work will also consider paying up to 100% of costs for:
If you have been working for the University for more than six weeks when you apply for Access to Work, the University may have to share the cost (Cost Sharing) for:
When cost sharing applies, the University will be required to contribute
To make an application for help from Access to Work you needs to contact Access to Work using the contact details above.
An application will be taken over the telephone and sent to your home address for you to check and sign. If you are unable to converse on the telephone a blank application can be emailed or posted to you to complete and post back.
When the signed application is returned to Access to Work, an adviser will usually speak to you and your manager to reach a decision about the most effective support. In most cases, this can be done over the telephone, but a visit can be arranged if necessary.
Sometimes specialist advice may be needed, which the Access to Work adviser will help to arrange. For example, the adviser may arrange for a specialist organisation to complete an assessment and recommend appropriate support.
In this case, a confidential written report will be sent to the Access to Work adviser, who will use this information to help them decide on the right level of support to offer you.
Your Access to Work report will/may also be useful in arranging other adjustments in future.
To receive support though Access to Work (AtW) you must:
Voluntary work is not eligible. Exemptions do apply based on receipt of specific benefit entitlements such as Incapacity Benefit. Contact Access to Work for further clarification.