Access to Work scheme is letting down countless disabled people

When Glyn Hayes from Welwyn in Hertfordshire applied to Access to Work for a new wheelchair attachment, he never expected what was supposed to be a 12-week process to last for over 12 months.

Access To Work: not working?

Glyn is a full-time wheelchair-user after sustaining a spinal-cord injury. He applied to Access to Work for help to buy a new front wheel attachment for his wheelchair to aid with work-related travel when he started a new job at Spinal Injuries Association in August 2023.

But what should have been a straightforward process quickly descended into a “bureaucratic nightmare”.

Though promised his Access to Work application would be processed within 12 weeks, it took over three months for Glyn to get an initial interview, where it was suggested that he go for a comprehensive wheelchair assessment to see if a new wheelchair, along with the front wheel attachment, would better suit his needs.

What seemed like a positive step forward only marked the beginning of more struggles and frustration for Glyn, an experience he now calls “The Herts Wheelchair Services saga”.

The Herts Wheelchair Services Saga

He said:

Initially I was told that an assessment could be done over the phone, as all I needed was a talking consultation to determine if the reasons I required a work chair were valid. I later received a letter stating that an in-person appointment was necessary after all. This exact issue happened again where I was told only a phone consultation was needed. Back and forth, this continued for months, culminating in a 15-minute fact-to-face assessment where the physio agreed that a new wheelchair and front wheel attachment were needed.

When Glyn was promised a supportive letter to Access to Work detailing the reasons why he needed a funded chair for work, he was met with more delays and very little response from the Herts Wheelchair Services. He eventually received a generic letter from AJM Healthcare, which failed to address his specific work-related needs.

Glyn said:

The consequences of these systematic failures were significant. Access to Work initially agreed to fund only the front wheel attachment, despite my outdated and potentially unsafe wheelchair. I then took on the process of obtaining a new wheelchair through charities, which took an additional four months. Throughout this period, I had to navigate changing Access to Work officers and reapply for support, further delaying the assistance I desperately needed.

After over a year of bureaucratic struggle, Glyn has finally been granted the funding for the front wheel attachment.

Spinal Injuries Association published their What Matters report in June 2024, which highlighted that a staggering 87% of people with a spinal-cord injury are concerned about access to employment. Many are keen to get back to work but the barriers around Access to Work can prevent this, leaving them relying on benefits.

While Glyn works in a disability-friendly workplace, many people are not so lucky and such delays in the system would seriously damage their employment prospects. As a former councillor, Glyn has experience of navigating complicated bureaucracy but still faced big delays.

Being denied the right to work

Access to Work is often a necessary lifeline to disabled people to help them stay in employment and retain their sense of self after a life changing injury.

But reflecting on his experience, Glyn, now parliamentary and public affairs coordinator for Spinal Injuries Association, said there were key changes needed for the system to work. These involved, he said, “streamlining the application process, improving communication between agencies, and prioritising the needs of applicants are crucial steps towards making Access to Work a truly supportive and effective resource for disabled people”.

A spokesperson for the Spinal Injuries Association said:

For most of us, our careers fundamentally affect our self-esteem; interaction in a workplace can help remove feelings of isolation and loneliness which we know is prevalent amongst our members and those we support. People with a spinal cord injury are being denied the right to work where small adjustments would make it possible. This must change.

Featured image via the Canary