How Access to Work Can Support You in Business (and How to Get It)
- Katie Rodwell
- Sep 1
- 3 min read
Not long ago I was having a conversation with a potential client who was SO overwhelmed in their business alongside managing neurodivergence. They’d been fighting fire with fire in the day-to-day of their business with no support and they were consistently burning out.
And this wasn’t because they weren’t capable, it was because the way they were working just wasn’t sustainable and support wasn’t accessible to them - until they received an Access to Work grant, and that’s when they came to me.
Access to Work can be a lifeline if you’re running a business (or working in employment) while managing a disability, neurodivergence or a mental health condition.
SO, WHAT IS ACCESS TO WORK & HOW DOES IT WORK?
It’s a government-funded scheme that can help people with physical or mental health conditions, disabilities or neurodivergence such as ADHD, Dyspraxia, Dyslexia and Autism to get support and reasonable adjustments to help them at work and in business.
They offer practical support, specialist equipment, travel support or funding towards a support worker or virtual assistant, admin support coach and mentor - and that includes an executive assistant to help you manage your workload, your systems, and your day-to-day while building your business.
If you’re eligible, you can apply online or via a form you can access through the gov.uk website. Once it goes through and you receive approval, Access to Work provides funding based on your needs which as mentioned above, can mean paying for:
Software, tools and equipment like text-to-speech software, screen readers and noise cancelling headphones.
Contributing towards the cost of in-person or remote human support (like me) to help you with admin, organisation, structure, day-to-day management and body-doubling.
Transport support if public transport isn’t accessible to you, like the extra cost of taxis and non-public modes of transport.
Funding job coaching to help you find ways to work better for you, strategies to manage symptoms and traits have their challenges and mental health support.
They’ll offer you an interview to assess the challenges you face at work, and give you support options to make your day-to-day easier.
WHO IS IT FOR AND HOW DO YOU KNOW IF YOU'RE ELIGIBLE?
It’s for people who are sixteen or over, live in England, Scotland or Wales and are either employed, or self-employed who have:
A disability
A long-term physical health condition
A mental health condition
A learning difference or neurodivergence (like ADHD, autism, dyslexia, etc)
The most important thing to know is you don’t need to be officially diagnosed to get the support - but you do need to show how it impacts your ability to work and the adjustments that would help - you can find out more about eligibility just here.
HOWEVER, AS WITH ALL THINGS - NOTHING IS PERFECT
I won't pretend the system is perfect, it definitely needs improvements - your application can take time to process. Depending on your circumstances and application, wait times can take from a few months to a year to go through due to a backlog of applicants.
Once the grant is approved, things can feel slow or frustrating at first while you wait for the first payment and with the recent changes in disability benefits the government have warned of, we are yet to know how that will impact Access to Work in the future.
But, with that said it really has made such a difference to some of my clients lives, and it's really helped them in their business so it's worth finding out more where you can to see if it's for you.
HOWEVER, AS WITH ALL THINGS - NOTHING IS PERFECT
Head to Access to Work at GOV.UK to find out more about the application process and what you can expect - if you’re looking for support with the application process, I can help, or if you already have Access to Work and you’re looking for support like this - get in touch with me just here if you have any questions or book a free call with me to chat about what you need.
To see a full list of my services so you have an idea of how I can help - you can find the details here.
Until next time,
Katie xoxo
ABOUT KATIE, EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT AND FOUNDER OF KATIE RODWELL REMOTE EXECUTIVE ASSISTANCE
Meet Katie! Your executive assistant and behind-the-scenes support for your small business. She’s also your personal cheerleader, because we all need an extra clap to keep things moving.
And she’ll be the first to remind you to celebrate yourself, too.
If you're looking to outsource tasks such as admin, social media, calendar management, email management, and more, book a free consultation below.
Comments