Access to Work for ADHD, autism and dyslexia: who can get it and how to apply

Access to Work is a Department for Work and Pensions grant for practical support at work when a disability or health condition gets in the way. It sits alongside your employer's legal duty to make reasonable adjustments; it does not replace it. This guide sets out what GOV.UK says on 11 September 2026. It is information, not advice: for your own case, the Access to Work helpline and GOV.UK are the final word.

Who can get Access to Work?

You can get Access to Work if you are 16 or over, in or about to start paid work, live and work in England, Scotland or Wales, and have a disability or health condition that affects your work.

• Age. 16 or over.
• Work. Paid work, or about to start or return to paid work in the next 12 weeks. Employment, self-employment, apprenticeships, work trials, internships and placements count; voluntary work does not.
• Where. England, Scotland or Wales. Northern Ireland has a separate system, and people in the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man are not eligible.
• Condition. GOV.UK names ADHD, dyslexia, autism spectrum disorder, learning disabilities and mental health conditions such as anxiety or depression, as well as physical conditions.
• Money. If you are employed, it does not matter how much you earn or have saved. If you are self-employed, your business needs an annual turnover of at least £6,500.
• Benefits. It works alongside most benefits if you work more than an hour a week, and alongside Employment and Support Allowance if you work under 16 hours.

Do you need a diagnosis for Access to Work?

No. GOV.UK says you do not need to be diagnosed with a condition to apply. What matters is how your condition affects your work and what support you think would help, which is exactly what the application asks you to describe.

That makes the waiting list for an ADHD or autism assessment less of a barrier than people often assume. Be specific about the effect on your work instead: which tasks, which settings, how often.

What can Access to Work pay for?

Access to Work can pay for practical support that goes beyond what your employer must legally provide. GOV.UK lists:

• Specialist equipment and assistive software.
• Support workers, such as a BSL interpreter, a job coach or a travel buddy.
• Travel to work if you cannot use public transport.
• Vehicle adaptations so you can get to work.
• Physical changes to your workplace.
• Mental health support: a tailored plan to help you get or stay in work, and one-to-one sessions with a mental health professional, through either Able Futures or Maximus. You can only claim this once.
• Communication support at job interviews.

It will not pay for reasonable adjustments, the changes your employer must legally make. The maximum grant is £69,260 a year, from 1 April 2025, according to GOV.UK's factsheet. You or your employer may need to pay some costs up front and claim them back.

How do you work out what to ask for?

Start with the barrier, not the product. The assessor's job is to match support to how your condition affects your work, so describe the problem clearly and let the categories follow.

Your employer's reasonable adjustments may cover some of these more quickly, such as a quieter desk or written instructions. See our guide to reasonable adjustments at work.

How to apply for Access to Work

You can apply online through GOV.UK, or by phone on 0800 121 7479, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm. If you cannot hear or speak on the phone, use Relay UK (18001 then 0800 121 7479) or the British Sign Language video relay service. The form is also available in formats such as braille, large print or audio CD through the helpline.

Have these ready:

1. Your contact details and National Insurance number, if you have it.
2. Your workplace address and postcode.
3. How your condition affects your work, and what support you think you need.
4. Your workplace contact details, if you are employed. GOV.UK says they will not be contacted without your permission.
5. Your Unique Taxpayer Reference, if you are self-employed.

Write the "how it affects your work" part in advance, in a document you can copy from. It is the section that shapes everything else.

What happens after you apply?

Someone from Access to Work contacts you to discuss your application; you can ask for email contact only if phone calls are hard. They may ask for more information, ask your permission to speak to your employer, and arrange for an assessor to talk to you by phone, video call or in person. You then get a letter saying how much your grant is and what it should pay for.

If your name, address, job, workplace or condition changes, tell Access to Work. GOV.UK's factsheet says it contacts you 12 weeks before your support is due to end.

How long does Access to Work take?

Longer than it should. On 19 May 2026, GOV.UK said around 60,000 people were waiting for a decision and that the Department for Work and Pensions was recruiting nearly 500 extra case managers and caseworkers, aiming to clear the backlog by September 2027. It said 96% of urgent start-date cases are now decided within 28 days, and that people due to start work within four weeks are prioritised.

GOV.UK does not publish a standard processing time. In practice: apply as soon as you know you need support, including up to 12 weeks before a new job starts, and ask your employer for reasonable adjustments in the meantime. Their duty does not wait for Access to Work.

Things to know

• The grant is not a loan. GOV.UK says it does not affect other benefits and you do not pay it back.
• Mental health support is once only. If you have had it through Access to Work before, you cannot claim it again.
• Keep receipts. If you or your employer pay up front, you claim the money back from your grant.
• Your employer still has duties. Access to Work will not pay for reasonable adjustments, so a slow application is not a reason for your employer to do nothing.
• Checked on 11 September 2026. Rules, the cap and waiting time figures come from GOV.UK on that date. They change; check the pages in our sources before you apply.