ADHD & Access to Work
Did you know that Access to Work is available for those with ADHD?
Access to work is a publicly funded employment support programme that funds practical support for those with a disability, health or mental health condition.
Currently the DWP are quoting wait times for applications to be reviewed as up to 24 weeks, but I think it might be slightly longer at the moment. However, don't let this put you off applying for something you are entitled to.
The eligibility criteria for applying for Access to Work is short and sweet. You must:
normally be resident in, and working in, Great Britain
have a disability or health condition that means you need an aid, adaptation or financial or human support to do your job
have a mental health condition and need support in work
be aged 16 or over
Plus, you must already be doing paid work, be about to start work or become self-employed, have an interview for a job or be about to begin a work trial or start work experience under the Youth Contract arranged through Jobcentre Plus.
Access to Work grants are designed to help pay for practical support to help people start work, stay in work and move into self-employment or start a business.
The maximum amount of grant available (if you have applied on or after 8th April 2024) is £69,260, per year.
For those with ADHD this grant could look like:
ADHD coaching
Virtual assistants
Equipment, such as stand/sit desks, noise cancelling headphones.
Specialist software such as voice-to-text, calendars and task management
Help with travelling to and from work (for example you struggle with using public transport)
Mental health support
Other different types of support, based on your individual needs
I applied for, and successfully received, an Access to Work grant at my last job. I was able to claim for a few things, but as I left the company not long after my application was granted, I was actually only able to make use of three ADHD coaching sessions.
I didn’t find the application process too difficult, and I was just really honest with what I struggled with, and I actually admitted I wasn’t sure what support I needed (as I just wasn’t sure what they offered at this point).
What I included in my first application:
I told them I was terrible with organisation and planning
I admitted I was forgetful, very forgetful
I explained that I was still struggling with coming to terms with my diagnosis, and understanding how ADHD affected me on a day to day basis
I mentioned that I struggled in meetings. Partly because I can get distracted easily, and also because even when I tried to make notes, I would be so busy making the notes, I would miss or forget what had been said
I explained how I was always super fidgety at my desk, and would find it hard to still still for such long periods of time
What I was granted (although didn’t get chance to actually use…):
Three year subscription to TextHelp Read & Write (Read&Write is a literacy support tool that offers help with everyday tasks like reading text out loud, understanding unfamiliar words, researching assignments and proofing written work.)
Three year subscription to Glean (Glean is a study tool that helps students learn from class by recording lectures, taking notes, and organizing content. I was granted it to help with note taking in meetings etc)
An electric stand/sit desk
16 hours of workplace coping strategy training (a fancy way to describe an ADHD coach)
As long as you don’t hit the cap (which is extremely generous in my opinion, although I am looking at this from only a ADHD/neurodivergent point of view) there is so much help available. My application/award barely even scratched the surface of what support can be granted.
It’s also good to mention here that if you do change jobs, you may be able to transfer equipment to your new employer, however you can’t just automatically transfer awards for support workers or travel. So you would need to make sure you contact the Access to Work team to discuss your new arrangements. I had not been told this was possible, I’d actually been told the opposite (but that part of it may have changed since I applied), so didn’t think my grant would follow me to a new job! Which is devastating really, as I really could have/would still have benefited from it.
Applying for an Access to Work grant isn’t too difficult, but… there are forms and it does ask you for as much detail as possible, and yeah, the waiting time sucks. However, there are plenty of people out there who can support you with an application (myself included!), so do reach out if you are struggling. Whether that’s with the application itself, or just to talk through if you think you’re eligible to apply.
