Legislation ~ Access to Work:
Access to Work (AtW) provides help, advice and financial grants to people whose health or disability affects the way they do their job. It also gives advice to employers and may support them with some of the costs of making reasonable adjustments to meet the disabled or dyslexic employee’s needs. It is a government-funded scheme run by Job Centre Plus.
iansyst provides the whole range of services for Access to Work:
- Assessments;
- Assistive Technology (AT) software, hardware and ergonomic solutions;
- Specialist support for the AT installation with your own IT staff;
- Support for the individual;
- Workplace consultancy;
- Assistive Technology training.
To be entitled to Access to Work, a person must be one of the following:
- In a paid job;
- Unemployed and about to start a job; or
- Self-employed.
They must also have an ongoing disability or health condition that stops them from doing aspects of the job.
Workers and employers should be aware of the support and funding that is available.
Access to Work could pay towards:
- Equipment to support the need;
- Adaptations to premises;
- Travel to work if public transport is not an option;
- Communicator at job interviews.
The Access-to-Work Business Centre considers the needs of each individual.
The Access-to-Work process is as follows:
The Disability Employment Adviser (DEA) at your local Jobcentre puts the individual in touch with the appropriate Access-to-Work Business Centre.
An Access-to-Work adviser talks to the individual and their employer about support – either over the phone or through a visit.
The Access-to-Work adviser may help to organise specialist advice.
The specialist adviser e.g. dyslexia specialist arranges an appointment to visit the individual in the workplace to carry out an assessment of needs.
The specialist writes a report recommending appropriate equipment, support and adjustments and forwards it to the Access-to-Work adviser.
The Access-to-Work adviser uses the report to help decide on the support required.
The Employer is then responsible for arranging the agreed support.
Access to Work can pay up to 100 per cent of the approved costs of making reasonable adjustments if the individual is one of the following:
- Unemployed and starting a new job;
- Self-employed;
- Working for an employer for less than six weeks.
Whatever the individual’s employment status, Access to Work will also pay for up to 100 per cent of the approved costs for:
- Support workers;
- Fares to work;
- Communicator support at interview.
If the individual has been employed in a job for more than six weeks and needs special equipment and/or adaptations to premises, then their employer will be expected to pay the first £300, plus a minimum of 20 per cent of the costs up to £10,000. Jobcentre Plus will pay the remaining 80 per cent and for all the costs over £10,000.
The support provided will be reviewed between one and three years.
For more information regarding Access To Work.
