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Many people work incredibly hard and expend a lot of energy to appear ‘normal’. For me, my vocabulary is far greater than my ability to spell words, so typing the correctly spelled words into a search bar can feel like running up a hill carrying a backpack full of bricks.
That is where Access to Work (ATW) can make a huge difference. It provides practical support that enables disabled people to overcome barriers, work more effectively, and thrive in their careers.
ATW has provided me with a Job Aide who can research and write something in seconds. That support does not remove my responsibilities neither does it do my job for me, it simply helps level the playing field.
Before we leap into this article, I just want to disclose that I struggle with being pushy enough to get the appropriate support for my neurodivergence. Hopefully I can help you have the confidence to ask for the right support and help.
Access to Work is a UK government employment scheme that enables people with a disability, health condition, or neurodivergence to get into and stay in work by funding practical support.
It has been helping people since June 1994 and they paid out roughly £320 million last year. That is a lot of support!
ATW can pay for all sorts of useful things like:
Personally, I use my grant to fund software like Fathom and Assembly AI to help me in virtual meetings. I also have a Grammarly subscription, a digital notebook called Remarkable, bone connecting headphones, which are great because I can listen to the screen reader and converse with colleagues at the same time, and a much needed ChatGPT subscription.
Bonus Tip: Just because they are paying for it, it does not mean you have to go with the software or equipment they suggest. You can swap it for something you prefer of the same price or under. Also, use any available discounts, this does not mean pocketing the difference, but simply spending what is needed and not taking resources away from others who need support.
Bonus Tip #2: You must ask for training for the software and specialist equipment.
If you have a disability or health condition that adversely affects your ability to carry out your role at work, you should definitely consider it. If your disability does not adversely affect your work and it is not long-term, then you do not need support. That is an important distinction to make, because a broken arm will heal, but someone with a permanent physical disability will need a disabled parking space for example.
You are eligible if you have:
I always knew I needed support, as I have often struggled to complete tasks within an 8-hour working day because my severe dyslexia means tasks take longer to complete. Gaining ATW helped bridge that gap, turning some of my daily uphill climbs into a gentler slope, it even helps lighten the load of that brick filled backpack.
All you have to do is contact Access to Work directly through the Access to Work government scheme government scheme.
My general advice would be to apply early, even if you are not completely sure what you need yet. It can take months to get an appointment, but once you have talked to someone and have had an assessment, it can take as little as a few weeks to get those resources.
When I was establishing my business, it took around a year from submitting my application to actually speaking to someone on the team. In the meantime, I used the free version of ChatGPT which was a bit of a pain to work with. It could only generate a set number of chats a day, before locking me out for 3 hours. I ended up working every day from 10am-2am, I was consumed by my work, hyperfocused then consequently I got burnt out. Do not make the same mistake as I did and contact them before you start your business or new role, and do not forget to be pushy but polite.
There are a few points at which you should apply:
Start sooner rather than later as I mentioned it took a year to even just get an appointment. They also give preferential treatment to people who apply before starting.
Support can often be arranged in advance so it is already in place on day one.
You can still apply at any time, but there are a few things to consider. The company will have to contribute to any support they give you, but if you apply before starting or within the first 6 weeks, the employer usually pays nothing. After 6 weeks, cost-sharing may apply depending on the size of the business:
So start as early as possible. Also, you have to apply every year when you are self-employed so bear that in mind.
Make sure to do your own research before you apply so you have a rough idea of what you need to do your job. Write a list of everything you do in your working day and the things you struggle with.
Always ask to be assessed because they know about other software or tools that you might not be aware of. Try not to be offended in the assessment process as they may ask you repeated or questions you may perceive as silly, they just need to find out as much information as possible to determine what you need. They are not there to judge you, they are there to help you.
Bonus Tip: If this seems overwhelming, just remember to follow the 3 Ps: be Prepared, Pro-active and Plan ahead.
The biggest hill I had to climb was in getting a Job Aide and I really felt the weight of that brick backpack. It is one thing getting funding to help you at work with equipment, but it is a completely different story getting a Job Aide/Support Worker.
I have always known that I needed a Job Aide as well as specialised equipment, because there are certain things I just cannot do easily. They might seem trivial to others like messaging colleagues or sending emails, but I often avoided them to save myself from uncomfortable situations. I think the fear of being embarrassed comes from experiences at school, where I was often laughed at for struggling with reading or spelling. People assume you are dumb if you cannot read aloud easily, but not everyone has a degree in computer studies…
Even with assistive tools, some tasks still need a Job Aide. I use text-to-speech because my writing is not always clear, but I still have to proofread everything. It often misinterprets what I say, changes meaning or adds unintended words, it sometimes even shoves a swear word in there. It also takes time, because everything still needs checking and correcting before it is usable.
When I first came across the idea of having a Support Worker/Job Aide, I did not know what it entailed, so I ended up having to figure it out step by step. Normally people with physical disabilities get a Support Worker, so I had to really push to get one as it is a high bar.
A Job Aide is usually day to day workplace focused support. They help you do specific tasks in a job that you might otherwise struggle with e.g. helping with writing emails or messages, assisting with admin, forms, organisation, or even just reading a letter aloud.
A Support Worker is a broader term and can cover both work and non work settings e.g. helping you communicate, plan your day, supporting independence and it sometimes covers personal care or travel support.
The title of my advertisement was Job Aide/Ghostwriter. I needed a Job Aide rather than a Support Worker as I need work related help rather than personal aid. This, twinned with the Ghostwriter specification was perfect as I need someone who is good one-to-one but also can cope with the technical, copywriting side of the job. The most important skill was to be good at writing.
There were a few more steps in getting a human to help me instead of equipment.
If these agencies are too general, try contacting local organisations, councils and disability charities which may supply personal assistants, job coaches and supported employment programmes.
Bonus Tip: Bear in mind that you need to reapply every year and your conditions for getting a Support Worker might change.
I did not use an agency to hire my Job Aide, I put out an ad on Indeed. I ended up removing my post on LinkedIn as I found a lot of people who lived abroad would apply, even though it was clearly advertised that I need someone in person.
I was looking for someone very specific. These are the guidelines I stuck to. They are very personal, but they might give you an idea of what you need too.
Before conducting the in person interview, I had an initial call with the candidates. You can tell whether or not they are articulate over the phone and if you have rapport.
Details matter to me in the role, so details mattered to me in the screening process. The people I chose to call all sent well structured emails which demonstrated their attention to detail. I purposefully did not say my name, so the candidate would have to find that information out for themselves. I also stated that I do not check my Indeed messages, so they had to send an email. You would be surprised at how many people did not read the specifications and sent me messages addressed to no one!
During the in person interview I had a few tasks for them to do:
It is important to discuss the payment method/fee during the interview, because as this is paid through the government, it can take up to a hundred years (2 months) to get their first payment. There are a few ways of paying them.
A Support Worker/Job Aide does not do the work for you, they reduce the friction in getting work done. For me, the biggest difference was in writing and thinking time. Even with spellcheckers, grammar checkers, assistive technology and AI tools like ChatGPT, I still found it mentally exhausting to turn ideas into finished, structured work. It took me 3 weeks to write an article with Chat GPT, while my Job Aide did it in about 3 days.
A Job Aide helped bridge that gap by:
As a disabled person, I am always coming into contact with someone who is concerned with my weaknesses instead of what I do well. We can often see asking for support as a negative thing. I used to work with a guy who had never told his colleagues that he was partially sighted as he was worried about how people would see him if he disclosed his disability. That fear is common.
The most important thing to realise is that ATW is a grant, and not something you have to pay back. They are not giving it to you out of sympathy, they are giving it to you so you can stay in work. People are scared of asking because they think their employer will not employ them. If you were a professional tennis player, you would use a specialist tennis racket, not your hand! It is a way of giving you the correct equipment for your job.
ATW can make a huge difference for people who genuinely need it. However, funding is limited and it is becoming harder and harder to get. That is why it is so important that the scheme is used for its intended purpose by the intended people. When resources are misused, it becomes harder for the people who rely on that support to access it.
It is all about unlocking your potential.
No. They can be virtual. Or you can even have more than one for different things.
No, you just need to show:
It is a judgment call. The reason I knew was because nothing ever bridged the gap between my cognitive ability to read and understand. People who are not severely dyslexic could use spell checkers or some assistive technology, but I was always worried about losing my job. My reading and writing speed is so slow so I was always underperforming.
Yes. Support is not fixed and may be increased, reduced, or adjusted depending on how your needs are reassessed at the time. However they normally pay for software for three years, so make sure you check that is in place before you get your grant.
Remember the 3 Ps! Be Prepared, Pro-active and Plan ahead.
No! You have to keep applying if you have a business. If you do not earn over 6K after the first 2 years, they will take away your funding. It is usually time limited and gets reviewed periodically.
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