DWP fails disabled people in Access to Work scheme

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has admitted it knowingly leaves disabled people caught up in Access to Work delays with no support.

Access to Work in tatters

We all know that Access to Work has been ripped to shreds by the Labour government. Whilst eligibility is being silently cut, they’ve also completely lost control of the assessment and reassessment backlog.

As I previously revealed on The Canary, over 66,000 disabled people are still waiting for Access to Work support. Alongside that, 27,297 applications were denied during April to October 2025, representing 33% of claims to date. That’s just 7,000 less than the amount denied in the whole of the financial year ending April 2025.

Whilst there is such a horrific backlog, many will struggle to work and could end up losing work. Surely a department that’s hellbent on forcing disabled people into work will provide some sort of interim financial support, then?

Timms admitting to more DWP failures

Lib Dem MP Dr. Al Pinkerton submitted a a written question to the department regarding the issue.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether interim financial support is available to claimants while an Access to Work decision is under appeal.

As helpful as ever, Minister for Disabled People, Stephen Timms, answered:

The Access to Work Scheme provides grant funding and is not a benefit, so interim financial support is not available through the scheme while an appeal is progressing.

Instead, he, of course, put the responsibility on the employer:

We always encourage customers to speak to their employer about workplace adjustments in the first instance.

DWP ignoring why Access to Work exists

This ignorant answer ignores the fact that Access to Work exists so that disabled people have equal access to work. If an employer has a choice between a non-disabled employee and a disabled one, they would have to shell out more to employ the latter. The choice is obvious.

It also means smaller companies will not be able to employ disabled people, because the cost to do so will be too high for them.

Last month Graeae, a disabled led theatre company, revealed they covered £198,445 in access costs. Just £86,800 of this was able to be reclaimed from Access to Work. The irony in this situation is that the DWP justified cutting their director Jenny Sealey’s support, claiming Graeae weren’t doing enough to support her.

This is convenient for the DWP when their employment schemes, such as the Youth Guarantee, involve allowing multimillion-pound companies to pay disabled people peanuts for low-skilled jobs.

DWP is lying about supporting disabled people into work

This is just another example of how the DWP is continuing to push a narrative of “supporting” disabled people into work, whilst doing sweet fuck all to actually allow them to work.

At this point, the department is actively hindering disabled people from working, then blaming disabled people for not working. But thanks to their disgusting rhetoric working, they know the public will fall for it every time.

Featured image via We are Unlimited