Recommendation 3

We are concerned about the large volume of written evidence we received that highlighted people’s experience of multiple failings in the Department’s administration of the scheme. As well as highlighting delays, the people who contacted us described poor communication from the Department and an inaccessible process that often requires the kind of administrative capacity that some disabled customers are applying for support to access. The evidence of those who contacted us suggests that Access to Work does not work well for freelancers, self-employed people or those working part time or with fluctuating earnings because it is built around assumptions of stable, full-time employment. While many of those who provided evidence recognise the scheme’s importance in enabling employment, they also say that widespread issues undermine its effectiveness and act as a barrier to disabled people’s employment. recommendation In light of the written evidence the Committee has received, the Department should urgently engage with users of the scheme to uncover any administrative failings beyond delays, and write to the Committee by September 2026, with the full results of that engagement, setting out a roadmap for change, with defined milestones and a clear description of the service standards that users can expect and that the Department can be held accountable for providing.