Access to Work waiting time: how long it takes and what to do while you wait

How long is the Access to Work waiting time?

It is long, and getting longer. The National Audit Office (NAO) reported that the average time to process an application rose from 28 days in 2020-21 to 66 days in 2024-25, and reached 109 days in November 2025.

The same report says 62,100 applications were waiting for a decision at 31 March 2025, against 21,700 three years earlier. Outstanding requests for payment rose over the same period too, from 6,900 to 31,700. Complaints about the scheme rose from 234 in 2022-23 to 657 in 2024-25, and 800 came in during the first six months of 2025-26, mostly about delays.

We looked for an official figure newer than the NAO's November 2025 measurement and did not find one. Other organisations quote longer waits; we have not repeated those because we could not check them against a government source. Read 109 days as a recent average, not a promise or a limit. Your own wait may be shorter or longer. Checked on 2 November 2026.

What does GOV.UK say happens after you apply?

Access to Work contacts you to discuss your application, an adviser may ask about your work and your condition, and a decision letter follows.

In more detail, from the GOV.UK page on what happens next:

• The adviser may ask for permission to speak to your employer.
• They may arrange for an assessor to call you, or to look at your workplace by video or in person.
• The decision letter states how much your grant will be and what it should pay for.
• You can ask for all contact by email rather than phone.
• If your job, address or circumstances change while you wait, tell the helpline: 0800 121 7479, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.

GOV.UK gives no timescale for any step.

What can you do to avoid making the wait longer?

Apply as soon as you know you need support, and give the helpline everything it asks for on the first pass.

GOV.UK says you will need your contact details, your workplace address and postcode, and information about how your condition affects your work and what support you think would help. Employees also need a workplace contact, who will not be approached without your permission. Self-employed applicants need their Unique Taxpayer Reference. Have your National Insurance number to hand if you have one.

You do not need a diagnosis, and you can apply online or by phone. If you are about to start a job or return to one within 12 weeks, GOV.UK says you can apply before the first day. The page says you need paid work: voluntary work does not count, and self-employed people need an annual turnover of at least £6,500.

Keep a note of the date you applied and the name of anyone you speak to. If the wait becomes a real problem for your job, you can complain to DWP, which is what rising numbers of people have done.

Is there anything your employer must do while you wait?

Yes, if you are covered by the Equality Act 2010. Access to Work is separate from your employer's legal duty to make reasonable adjustments.

GOV.UK says Access to Work does not pay for reasonable adjustments, which are changes your employer must make by law. Acas says employers must make them when they know, or could reasonably be expected to know, that someone is disabled, and that employers pay for them. Acas also says Access to Work grants may help but do not replace that duty.

So a long queue for the grant is not a reason for your employer to wait. You can ask now for the changes that cost little, such as a different desk, written instructions or a quieter place to work. Our guide to asking for reasonable adjustments has wording you can adapt.

The Equality Act definition is a physical or mental impairment with a substantial and long-term effect on normal daily activities. Substantial means more than minor, and long-term means lasting 12 months or more. The GOV.UK page does not name ADHD or autism, so if you are unsure whether you meet the definition, ask Acas.

What free tools can you use in the meantime?

Free tools will not replace a funded assessment, but several cost nothing to try while the application sits in the queue.

• Microsoft Immersive Reader in Edge gives you read aloud, line focus and wider spacing on web pages and documents.
• Goblin Tools turns a job you cannot start into a list of steps. The site is free, and its Magic ToDo tool lets you choose how fine-grained the list is.
• Headphones. The soundcore Q31i. The National Autistic Society lists noise-cancelling headphones among the things Access to Work can fund, but whether it pays depends on your assessment, so do not count on being repaid.

The principle is the same for any equipment: get what you can use now, keep the receipt, and tell the adviser what you already have.

Things to know

• Figures date quickly. The 109-day average is a November 2025 measurement. Check the NAO and GOV.UK for newer ones before relying on it.
• Grant rules sit on other GOV.UK pages. We could not confirm the current grant cap, how long an award lasts or when employers must contribute from the pages we read. Check GOV.UK before you plan around any of them.
• Civil servants are excluded. Their employer provides support instead.
• This is information, not legal advice. For your own situation, contact Acas or the Access to Work helpline.