Skip to main content
Guidance

Access to Work: staff guide

A Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) staff guide about the Access to Work scheme.

Updates to this page

From:
Department for Work and Pensions
Published:
22 December 2014
Last updated:
18 June 2026
Show all updates

  1. Added the lower earnings limit for 2026 to 2027 in paragraph 15 under 'What is self-employment?'.

  2. Removed references to Income Support and income-based Jobseeker's Allowance

  3. Introduction edited to show civil servants can no longer apply for Access to Work support.

  4. Additional information and sections added under 'Supported Internships and Traineeships'.

  5. Various changes made throughout, including addition of 'Identifying Civil Servants and Public Servants in government departments, agencies and public bodies' section, changes to lower earnings limits, changes to the maximum period of  AtW support for a Job Coach and information regarding 'Travel by Taxi'.

  6. New sections added: 'Information on which letter to use' and 'Change of employer' along with several minor changes for more clarity.

  7. The Lower Earnings Limit figures have been updated for the years 2024 to 2025 and 2025 to 2026.

  8. Updated 'What is self-employment?' (paragraph 7), 'Ceiling cap' (paragraph 1) and also 'Communication support at interview' (Overview paragraph).

  9. Added new Access to Work ceiling cap of £69,260 effective from 8 April 2024.

  10. Substantial updates made to the Access to Work: staff guide.

  11. Numerous updates to Access to Work staff including: Clarification of change to eligibility of civil servants and public servants, Change to Travel to Work and Travel in Work where customers provide the expected full cost of the journey by taxi, Process for Special aids and equipment clarified. Recalculated examples of Cost Share as customers can have a Personal Wheelchair Budget (PWB) rather than an NHS voucher. Changes to the process when reporting a change of circumstances, Review of claims in payment including proforma invoices, Support Worker instructions including evidence required and also updated Ceiling Caps.

  12. Updated with the latest benefit rates, effective from 10 April 2023.

  13. Updated Access to Work instructions in relation to the change to extend the initial trading period for newly self-employed customers.

  14. Updates made to eligibility, travel to work, travel in work and self-employment sections.

  15. Added the maximum annual award limit for 1 April 2022 to 31 March 2023 - this is £65,180.

  16. Updates about civil servant eligibility for Access to Work made in section 3.

  17. Published an updated version of the Access to Work staff guide. Various changes made over the past 12 months.

  18. Updated with the latest rates effective from 1 April 2021.

  19. Updated information about Supported Interns and Traineeships.

  20. Published an updated version of the staff guide. Changes include: Chapter 3 – updated content for 'Supported internships and traineeships' and Chapter 17 – addition of 3 new paragraphs at the end of this chapter.

  21. Published the latest version of the staff guide. Section 16 now includes the 2020 to 2021 celling cap.

  22. Published an updated version of the Access to Work staff guide.

  23. Published a fully updated version of the Access to Work staff guide.

  24. Added a note about supported internships and traineeships (page 18, paragraph 135) and added the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy to the list of government departments which have agreed to fund all adjustments for staff directly employed by them and based at any location (Appendix 1, page 97).

  25. Added revised version of the staff guide. Section 3 now includes information about the annual award limit and section 11 includes information on the Tech Fund.

  26. Published updated version of the guide with various updates.

  27. Published revised Access to Work: staff guide with changes to paragraphs 33, 479 and 761.

  28. Updated parts: 1 Introduction, 3 Eligibility, 9 Special aids and equipment, 16 Overpayments.

  29. Published revised version to include guidance on new rules about self-employment and a cap on the amount people can receive.

  30. Clarified guidance for staff on the topics of self-employment, company directors, requests for reconsideration, mental health support services, car parking charges, government departments, and additional evidence.

  31. Updated guidance about support workers at paragraph 366 of the guide.

  32. First published.

Applies to England, Scotland and Wales

Documents

Access to Work: staff guide

HTML

Details

This document is for DWP staff and explains how the Access to Work scheme operates.

An Access to Work grant can pay for practical support if someone has a disability, health or mental health condition to help them:

  • start working
  • stay in work
  • move into self-employment or start a business

Why we publish this guide

We publish this guide to help people understand how we make decisions.

More about Access to Work

Find out if you can get help from Access to Work.

Sign up for emails or print this page