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Access to Work Programme

Asked by Mr Gregory CampbellDemocratic Unionist PartyDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled Answered 8 July 2026UIN 13774

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he plans to announce any changes to Access to Work by the end of 2026.

Answered by Sir Stephen Timms

We have already taken steps to improve the Access to Work scheme, committing to recruiting and training nearly 500 additional staff. Recruitment has already started. New case managers will receive extensive training to handle complex applications with confidence.

We have engaged in extensive discussion with a wide range of stakeholders to develop a richer understanding of the challenges disabled people face and to make sure the needs of customers are met. The feedback from this engagement will be used to shape improvements to the scheme that better reflect the current needs of customers.

The Department regularly reviews schemes such as Access to Work to ensure we provide the best service to customers. Any improvements to Access to Work will be announced in advance of their implementation.

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