Access To Work

Presentation by: STEPHEN ROE DWP – National Access to Work Team

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Access to Work

•Provides support and advice to overcome work-related issues resulting from disability

• Enables disabled people to work on a moreequal basis with their non disabled colleagues.

• Encourages employers to recruit and retain disabled people by offering practical and financial help.

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Advantages to Employers

• Encourages disabled people to apply to work with you and creating a more diverse workforce• Visibly demonstrates good employment policies and practices• Good disability employment practices sends a powerful message to all employees that your organisation values it’s people.• People are an important asset and it makes sense to have the widest possible choice• Retaining an employee who develops a disability means keeping the person’s valuable skills

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ADDITIONALITY

STANDARD

REASONABLE

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WHO CAN ACCESS TO WORK SUPPORT?

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Access to Work

Example

• Alison was successful in securing a job as Human Resource Assistant• Registered Blind – Could not read information on her computer monitor and written text.• Using public transport also a problem as catching a bus meant crossing busy roads and city streets• She contacted Access to Work for help• Access to Work funded an in work assessment which recommended specialist software and a CCTV• Access to Work also provided funding for a taxi to get her to and from work.

Types of Help

There are six main types of help:

Communication Support at Interview (CSI)Special Aids and Equipment (SAE)Adaptations to Premises and Equipment (APE)Travel to Work (TTW)Travel in Work (TiW)Support Worker (SW)

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Access to Work Grants

Access to Work will pay grants of up to 100% of approved support costs for:

• Unemployed people starting a job;• All self-employed people;• People who have been working for less than 6 weeks when they first apply for AtW.

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Employed People

• Defined as Customers who have been in their job for more than 6 weeks;

• Employer Cost Share applies to grants towards Special Aids and Equipments (SAE) & Adaptations to Premises & Equipment (APE);

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Cost Sharing

• When cost sharing applies Access to Work will pay up to 80% of the approved costs above a statutory threshold.

•The amount of the threshold is determined by the number of employees employed by the organisation the customer is working for.

0 - 9 - no cost share 10 - 49 - £300 50 - 249 - £500 Over 250 - £1000

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Making an application

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• Customers contact by telephone on 020 8426 3110. • Application completed and posted to home address.• The customer checks, amends if necessary, signs and

returns application.• The application is allocated to an Adviser who will

contact the customer usually within 24 hours.• The Adviser will then contact the Employer.

Making an application

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• If necessary the Adviser will refer a customer to an independent assessor.

• The Adviser is responsible for gathering all relevant facts and deciding on the support that can be recommended for approval.

• A decision can be reconsidered and reviewed if new information is made available.

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Any Questions?

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