Recommendation 1
a Address gaps in administrative and survey data in order to assess the benefits of the current scheme.
Source · National Audit Office
The Access to Work scheme
The NAO investigates DWP’s operation of the Access to Work scheme to help inform public debate on its future.
Published: 6 Feb 2026
Recommendations: 7
Type: Value for Money
Department: Department for Work and Pensions
Recommendations
No response position recorded.
The indexed recommendations do not yet have a recorded response position. This is separate from evidence of implementation. This report was published 6 February 2026.
Recommendation 2
b Implement any changes to the scheme in a way that enables evaluation of whether the scheme is meeting its objectives and achieving value for money, and undertake such evaluation.
Recommendation 3
c Amend its guidance to align more closely with the government?s objectives for the scheme ? both now and after any changes ? to support case workers to make consistent decisions.
Recommendation 4
d Improve the quality and comprehensiveness of the data that it collects about Access to Work cases as they progress.
Recommendation 5
e Use these data to undertake analytical techniques, such as process mining, to identify trends, patterns and bottlenecks in how the customer journey process operates, and use these insights to improve the administration of the scheme.
Recommendation 6
f Carry out its work study to establish a new productivity standard as a basis to develop and implement improvement activities.
Recommendation 7
g Create an action plan for meeting the revised productivity standard, incorporating innovative approaches to support the work of case managers.
Public Accounts Committee follow-up
The Public Accounts Committee examined this NAO report and published its own recommendations. The government responds to PAC recommendations via Treasury Minutes.