Access to Work Programme
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, following the Pathways to Work consultation and collaboration committee engagement, when the his Department expects to publish its plans for the future of the Access to Work scheme.
Answered by Sir Stephen Timms
Access to Work (AtW) is an important programme that supports thousands of people to remain in work, and whilst we acknowledge the scheme needs improvements, change in this area is complex and we are committed to getting it right.
We are keen to ensure the system remains fair, and sustainable and changes must be carefully designed to ensure they deliver real improvements. We are continuing to refine policy options, and we will announce next steps when the policy, evidence, and delivery plans are developed.
We have already begun taking steps to improve the scheme, committing to recruiting and training an additional 480 case staff to process the higher volume of applications, to join the 658 staff already working on Access to Work. Recruitment has already begun, and new case managers will receive extensive training to handle complex applications with confidence.
The announcement delivered on 19 May set out our commitment to deliver an AtW that is timely, efficient, and can meet new levels of demand. It will help to restore confidence in the capability of the Scheme to award the right support at the right time and sets a pathway towards further improvements.
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