The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has implemented a significant change to the rules governing its Access to Work scheme, a move that has immediately drawn criticism from leading disability charities.
What Has Changed in Access to Work?
The alterations, which took effect on 7 January 2026, fundamentally shift how individuals applying for or using the scheme communicate with officials. According to reports, claimants can no longer email supporting documents to the department. Instead, they are required to post paperwork, often incurring the cost themselves.
Furthermore, guidance now instructs people to avoid emailing their Access to Work caseworkers directly. The DWP has positioned telephone calls as the primary method for ongoing communication, a change that has raised concerns about accessibility for those with hearing, speech, or anxiety-related conditions.
Charities Voice Alarm Over New Barriers
Disability equality organisations have reacted with dismay, arguing the new processes contradict the scheme's core purpose. Abdi Mohamed, head of policy at Scope, labelled the shift "a worrying development".
"We are already hearing from disabled people about long delays and growing difficulties getting Access to Work support in place," he explained. "Disabled people already deal with enough barriers getting into work. Access to Work should be removing those barriers, not piling on more confusing and inaccessible processes."
Evan John, Policy Advisor at the national disability charity Sense, echoed this sentiment. "Access to Work exists to tackle the barriers to employment faced by disabled people. It's therefore unacceptable that the application process itself is too often a barrier," he said.
DWP Defends the Communications Update
In response to the criticism, a spokesperson for the Department for Work and Pensions stated that the update was made to align customer communications with standard departmental procedure. The DWP maintains that various channels, including phone, letter, SMS, and email, can still be utilised "when appropriate or as a reasonable adjustment."
However, campaigners fear this discretionary approach may lead to inconsistency and place an additional burden on claimants to request adjustments for what was previously a standard service. The Access to Work scheme is designed to provide grants for practical support, helping those with physical or mental health conditions or disabilities to secure or stay in employment.
The key concerns raised by charities include:
- Increased financial cost for posting documents.
- Potential delays in processing claims.
- Creating communication barriers for people with specific disabilities.
- Adding complexity to a system meant to reduce obstacles.
As the new rules bed in, the impact on thousands of disabled people across the UK relying on this vital employment support will be closely watched.
