Marvin OnumonuBusiness Disability Forum called for clearer direction on the Access to Work scheme after the National Audit Office (NAO) published a report on how the Department for Work & Pensions (DWP) runs the scheme.
Findings showed that in 2024–25, 74,200 people received Access to Work funding, up 97% from 37,700 in 2018–19.
DWP spent £321m on the scheme in 2024–25, a 96% increase in real terms since 2018–19.
On 31st March 2025, 62,100 applications were waiting for a decision, compared to 21,700 in March 2022.
The maximum annual Access to Work funding per person stayed at £69,260 in both 2024–25 and 2025–26.
There were 157,000 applications for support in 2024–25, more than double the 76,100 seen in 2018–19.
51% of those who received funding in 2024–25 had mental health or learning conditions.
DWP spent £227m on support workers in 2024–25, up 125% from £101m in 2018–19.
The average time for DWP to process applications rose to 109 working days in November 2025, compared to 66 days in 2024–25 and 28 days in 2021–22.
There were 588 DWP full-time staff working on the scheme in 2024–25, up from 247 in 2021–22.
Angela Matthews, director of public policy and research at Business Disability Forum, said: “Business Disability Forum has long called for the reform of the Access to Work scheme.
“The scheme is one of the most critical sources of support for disabled people to enter and stay in work and for the Government to meet its aim of getting more disabled people into employment, but it is currently overwhelmed, under invested in, and under-resourced.
“The findings of this report support what we are hearing from our members that delays in processing new awards, renewing existing awards and paying back employers for costs incurred are having a detrimental effect on disabled people, employers and the work being done to reduce the disability employment gap.”
Matthews added: “Changes in practice around case management are very real and are already negatively impacting disabled people and employers, even though policy around Access to Work has not changed and is still being discussed and consulted on.
“We need clear direction from the Government to end this uncertainty and for rules around Access to Work to be clarified and applied fairly.”
