Access to Work delays continue as DWP aims to contact applicants ‘within 12 weeks’

Access to Work (AtW), the UK Government scheme which supports disabled people in the workplace, is continuing to experience administrative issues – with the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) revealing that they hope to respond to grant applications “within 12 weeks”.

The delay is the latest processing problem facing AtW, after The Limping Chicken found in September that communication providers were owed thousands in overdue AtW payments.

In a statement to this website, a DWP spokesperson said: “We are currently experiencing an increased demand for Access to Work, but aim to contact grant applicants within 12 weeks of making an application.

“Anyone due to start work within the next four weeks, or applying for communication support at interview, will be contacted as soon as possible to start progressing their application.”

No reason was given for the delay.

It comes after Deaf people took to Twitter to draw attention to the problem, reporting that new applications and renewals are being delayed.

In a tweet posted on Thursday, Deaf pathologist Justine Durno wrote: “[I] have just been told that my AtW application will now take a total of 14 weeks to process due to [the] sheer no. of applications after furlough. Is that what others have been told?”

She went on to add that the new application was filed on 28 September, and that the Department for Work and Pensions are “processing everything strictly in date order” – with the government department reportedly on cases up to 18 August currently.

Have just been told that my ATW application will now take a total of 14 weeks to process due to sheer no. of applications after furlough. Is that what others have been told?? My application was submitted 28th Sept @Limping_Chicken @DWP

— Justine Durno (@DrJussieDee) November 11, 2021

The issue was echoed by Sarah Cassandro – one of three Deaf parents who recently won a legal case over British Sign Language (BSL) interpretation at a Little Mix concert – who said that she is “still waiting” on a new application submitted in September.

Elsewhere, two more Deaf applicants reported delays of seven and nine weeks.

The impact of delays was highlighted by Deaflympian and social media manager Lyndon Borrow, who started a new job on 1 November.

“Six weeks prior I asked for [an] AtW application. They said it will take up to 14 weeks. I asked, ‘what about my new job?!’ They couldn’t answer so I booked interpreters with risk,” he said.

Same here! Started a new job on 1/11. 6 wks prior Ive asked for AtW application for new job. They ve said it will take up to 14 wks. I asked what abt my new job?! They couldn’t answer so I bk’d interps with risk. I hope they’ll approve soon – I’ve kept pestering them with email🤬

— Lyndon Borrow (@LyndonBorrow) November 11, 2021

However, not everyone has suffered a long wait for progress in their applications, with one Twitter user responding to say they “got it within a month”. Another reported that they were able to “bring [their] case forward” from a 12-week wait after contacting the department.

Following The Limping Chicken‘s previous investigation into Access to Work earlier this year, a DWP spokesperson said: “Following postal delays, we are seeing payment clearance times returning to normal levels. Payments are made as quickly as possible once a claim has been received.”

The department will also trial a new digital claims system for claimants in the coming months, where they’ll be able to view previous claims and their status.

This was also confirmed in a tweet by Lipspeaker UK in October, when they said that a senior service delivery leader working on AtW contacted them following comments made to this website.

“[This was] followed by an excellent meeting regarding digitalising the service with a new portal to make claims, renewals and budgeting easier.

“Promising times ahead,” they wrote.

Photo: GOV.UK.

By Liam O’Dell. Liam is an award-winning Deaf freelance journalist and campaigner from Bedfordshire. He can be found talking about disability, theatre, politics and more on Twitter and on his website.