Introduction
What this guide is for
This guide is for disabled councillors who want to understand what Access to Work is, whether they are eligible, and how to apply. It is also for council officers who support councillors and want to know how to provide the right advice.
Access to Work is a government scheme that funds practical support for disabled people in work. The National Census of Local Authority Councillors 2022 found that 16 per cent of councillors reported a long-term physical or mental health condition that had a substantial impact on their normal day-to-day activities. Many councillors are likely to be eligible to apply for Access to Work, and many are unaware of this.
If you receive a councillor allowance, you are eligible to apply for Access to Work. You do not need a formal diagnosis, and eligibility is not limited to cabinet members or councillors on special responsibility allowances.
This guide covers what Access to Work is, who is eligible, what it can fund, how to apply, and what problems to expect. It also sets out what your council should be doing to support you through the process. The companion guides in this toolkit cover reasonable adjustments and the wider support available to newly elected disabled councillors.
How this guide was produced
This guide was co-produced with disabled councillors and council officers who are part of the Local Government Disability Champions Network (LGDCN), supported by the Local Government Association (LGA). Together with guides on the support available for newly elected disabled councillors and reasonable adjustments for councillors (a model policy), they make up a disabled councillor toolkit.
Understanding your eligibility
Awareness and common misunderstandings
Steering group discussions that shaped this guide identified that awareness of Access to Work among councillors is much lower than its awareness amongst the officers who support them.
This guide sets out what Access to Work is, who is eligible, and how to apply.
Who is eligible
Since 2010, government guidance has treated councillors who receive allowances beyond expenses as being in paid work for Access to Work purposes, following a written answer from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) minister and subsequent changes to DWP guidance. For further background, see the LGA's guidance on improving access to local government elected office for disabled people.
The following applies:
- Any councillor who receives a councillor allowance is eligible to apply, including basic allowance holders. Special responsibility allowances are not required.
- There is no upper age limit.
- You do not need a formal diagnosis. Access to Work is not about your medical history. It is about the barriers you face in doing your role and what practical support would help remove them.
- You do not have to be newly elected to apply. If you are mid-term and have recently received a diagnosis, or your condition has changed and your current support is no longer adequate, you can apply or reapply at any point.
- You can receive Access to Work and Personal Independence Payment (PIP) at the same time. They serve different purposes. PIP supports the additional costs of daily living and mobility outside work. Access to Work funds support specifically related to your working role.
Common misconceptions
The following misconceptions come up regularly and are worth addressing directly.
| Misconception | Truth |
|---|---|
| Access to Work is only for councillors with special responsibility allowances or cabinet roles. | This is not the case. Any councillor receiving an allowance, including a basic allowance, can apply. |
| You need a formal diagnosis to apply. | A formal diagnosis is not required. What matters is the barriers your condition creates in carrying out the role, and what practical support would help address them. |
| You cannot receive both PIP and Access to Work. | Both can be received at the same time. They serve different purposes. PIP is not a work-related or means-tested benefit. It supports the additional costs of daily living and mobility. Access to Work funds support specifically related to carrying out your role. |
| Access to Work covers the same things as reasonable adjustments. | The two are different. Reasonable adjustments are your council's legal responsibility under the Equality Act 2010. Access to Work is a scheme that funds additional support on top of what your council must provide directly. |
What Access to Work can fund
Access to Work can fund a wide range of practical support. What you receive depends on your individual needs and what an assessor agrees is necessary to enable you to carry out your role. The scheme is not limited to technology. It can cover many different types of support. A single application can cover more than one type of support. A councillor might apply for a support worker, specialist equipment and transport costs as part of the same application.
Examples of what Access to Work has funded for councillors and council officers include:
- personal assistant (PA) support to help with casework, correspondence and administrative tasks
- specialist technology such as tablets adapted for neurodivergent users and dictation software
- apps that support executive function and daily organisation
- coaching in coping strategies
- transport costs for those who cannot use public transport due to disability.
One councillor who received support through Access to Work described a tablet designed for neurodivergent users as lifesaving, and an app that supported their daily organisation as transformational. The personal assistant support they received, they said, was the most valuable element of all.
Access to Work does not cover everything. It does not replace reasonable adjustments that your council is required to make directly (such as, for example, an accessible meeting venue or adapted seating - although this will always depend on the circumstances). The companion guide on reasonable adjustments for councillors covers what your council is responsible for providing directly.
How Access to Work and reasonable adjustments work together
Access to Work and reasonable adjustments are different things, and for many councillors the right starting point is a conversation with the council about reasonable adjustments. Many councillors will find their needs can be met through reasonable adjustments alone, without going through Access to Work at all. Where that is the case, Access to Work is not necessary. Where it is needed, it funds support that goes beyond what the council provides directly.
Reasonable adjustments are changes your council makes directly to remove barriers you face because of your disability. These are decided on a case-by-case basis depending on their effectiveness and feasibility. For example, they could include: an accessible meeting room, adapted seating, documents in accessible formats, a named contact who understands your needs. Your council provides these as part of its legal duty under the Equality Act 2010, and what is reasonable depends on your circumstances and your council's resources. They do not require any application to be made to a government scheme.
Access to Work funds support that goes beyond what your council would typically provide directly. For example, this could include: specialist equipment, PA hours, coaching, transport costs.
In some cases, where support relates to specialist equipment or premises adaptations, councils may be required to contribute towards the cost. The amount depends on the council's size. Most councils, as large employers, would fall into the highest contribution band. Your council's named contact can advise on this.
In practice, the line between the two can blur. One councillor spoke of how they received a larger laptop through reasonable adjustments, because their standard councillor equipment was not adequate for their needs. Other support, including support from a personal assistant and specialist apps, came through Access to Work. Working out which route applies to which need is part of the process, and your council's named contact for Access to Work should be able to help you navigate it.
A full guide to reasonable adjustments, including a model policy and a template reasonable adjustment passport, is included in this toolkit.
How to apply
You can apply for Access to Work online through GOV.UK, or by calling the Access to Work helpline on 0800 121 7479. If the online form is a barrier, because of the length of the process, difficulty sustaining focus, or accessibility issues with the form itself, you can call instead and ask to apply by phone.
Before you apply, it helps to have thought through what barriers you face in doing the role and what support would help to address them. It can also help to prepare a brief description of what your role involves day to day, including the types of meetings you attend, the casework you carry out, and how you communicate with residents and officers. DWP will ask about this during the assessment, and having thought it through in advance can make the process easier, particularly if you are newly elected and still finding your feet in the role. You do not need a perfectly formed answer. The assessment process is meant to explore this with you.
The application form
The online application form is long, and your progress may not be saved if you close it or lose your connection. For some neurodivergent applicants, this can be a significant barrier.
One councillor described only being able to complete the form because someone sat with them and helped them through it. If you need help completing the form, it is worth asking your council's named contact whether they can support you, or whether they can identify someone who can.
Apply as early as possible. If you apply within the first six weeks of starting a new role, Access to Work will often cover the full cost of approved support, depending on the requirement. After this, your employer (for this purpose, the council) may be required to contribute. Early application also means support is in place sooner, which matters if you are already navigating barriers without it.
What happens after you apply
After your application is submitted, you will be contacted by a Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) caseworker to arrange a workplace assessment. The assessment looks at the barriers you face and what support would help. It results in a funding decision setting out what Access to Work will pay for.
The assessment can often focus on technology solutions. If you need support from a personal assistant (PA), coaching or other person-centred help, make that case clearly. You may wish to ask the assessor to record what you have said. If the initial offer does not reflect your needs, you can challenge it.
Caseworker experiences vary. If your caseworker is unresponsive or the process has stalled, you can escalate within DWP. The LGDCN can offer peer support and connect you with others who have been through the process, though it is not able to advocate on individual cases. Disability Rights UK can also provide guidance.
Known problems and how to deal with them
Some councillors find applying for Access to Work a challenging process. Knowing what problems other councillors have encountered, and how to respond to them, may help to make the process more manageable.
If your application is refused
You have the right to challenge a refusal. You can ask for the decision in writing with the reasons.
If you believe the decision is wrong, you can request a mandatory reconsideration, which is a formal review by DWP. The GOV.UK Access to Work factsheet for customers sets out how to do this. Disability Rights UK also provides guidance on your rights and how to navigate the process.
Wait times
The process can be lengthy. While some applications are processed more quickly, it is not unusual for the period from application to approved support to take a year or more, and in some cases longer. Factor in the wait when you are thinking about what interim support you need and ask your council whether a temporary reasonable adjustment can be put in place while you wait. Something can almost always be done quickly, and a temporary measure should not be used as a reason to delay permanent support.
Quotes lapsing
Access to Work requires suppliers to provide quotes for the support you need, and these quotes will have an expiry date. If the approval process takes longer than the quote is valid, you may have to start the quoting process again. Keep track of quote expiry dates and chase the caseworker if you can see the timeline slipping.
Technology that does not work with council systems
Software and equipment recommended through Access to Work is sometimes incompatible with council IT systems. This can create a situation where you have been approved for support that your council's IT infrastructure will not accommodate. Raise this with your council's IT team and democratic services before the equipment arrives. It is much easier to resolve before purchase than after.
Data protection can also cause practical problems if you have external PA support. An external PA handling casework data may need access to council equipment, a council email account and appropriate data protection clearance. Discuss this with democratic services before your PA starts.
Local government reorganisation
If your council is going through structural reorganisation, Access to Work applications and contacts may be at risk of getting lost. One councillor described their application falling into a 'black hole' during reorganisation: forms went missing, contacts changed roles, and nobody knew who was responsible. With significant reorganisation currently under way, this is a live risk for many councils.
If your council is going through reorganisation, flag your Access to Work application explicitly to whoever takes on the democratic services role in the new structure. Put your key contacts and reference numbers in writing somewhere you can find them.
The funding valuation issue
Some councillors have found that Access to Work award amounts are calculated in a way that does not always reflect the full level of support needed to do the role. If this affects your application, raise it with your council and seek guidance from specialist organisations such as Disability Rights UK.
Your council's role
Access to Work is a government scheme, but your council has a role in making it work for councillors.
Named contact
Councils should designate a named officer as the Access to Work contact for councillors. This does not need to be a disability specialist, and there is no single right home for the role. Depending on the council's size and structure, it might sit in democratic services, HR, or with a member development manager. What matters is that someone knows what the scheme is, can help councillors understand whether they are eligible, can support them through the application process if needed, and knows how to escalate when things go wrong.
If your council does not have a named contact, you can ask for one to be put in place. Without it, councillors may be navigating a complex government scheme alone. It is also worth keeping your own record of the named contact registered on your DWP file. If that person changes role or leaves, notify Access to Work directly so your file is updated. Keeping that record up to date can help avoid unnecessary delays to your claims.
Induction
Access to Work should be part of every councillor induction, so new councillors understand what Access to Work is, whether they might be eligible, and who to talk to if they want to apply. The LGA is developing standard materials that councils can use for this purpose.
Both should be raised early, at the same time, ideally during your induction.
Continuity planning
If your council is going through structural changes, someone should own the continuity of Access to Work arrangements for councillors. Applications in progress, approved support already in place, named contacts, and reference numbers should all transfer when change takes place. Councils should build this into their reorganisation planning.
Where to go next
The two companion guides in this toolkit are the most important starting point. Your rights as a newly elected councillor: A guide to disability support covers what your council is legally required to do, how to ask for reasonable adjustments, and what to do if support is not happening. The reasonable adjustment policy for councillors is a model policy your council can adopt, with a template reasonable adjustment passport as an appendix.
If you want to connect with others who have been through the Access to Work process, the LGDCN can offer peer support and signposting. Find out more at the LGDCN page on the LGA website.
