Asked by: Alex Brewer (Liberal Democrat - North East Hampshire)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to (a) simplify the paperwork and (b) make online submissions possible for Access to Work Plus applications.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Access to Work Policy has worked collaboratively with the Supported Business Steering Group to develop Access to Work Plus. The Access to Work Plus processes are reviewed on a regular basis and work is currently underway to streamline the claims process.
To improve customer service and streamline processes, Access to Work is continuing to develop its digital offer. There is already an Access to Work online application process, which Access to Work Plus customers can use, but as Access to Work Plus is limited to a small number of customers there are no immediate plans to develop a separate online application process.
Asked by: Alex Brewer (Liberal Democrat - North East Hampshire)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average waiting time is between submitting an application for Access to Work Plus and (a) an in-person assessment, (b) a funding decision and (c) payment.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Access to Work Plus applications are prioritised and pulled from the standard Access to Work application queue. The average clearance time for Access to Work applications which include Access to Work Plus is 25-days. Once requested an enhanced Access to Work Plus assessment is expected to be returned within 12 days. The Access to Work payment average clearance time is 10-days, this includes Access to Work Plus, providing all the information has been submitted, the same as for standard Access to Work.
Clearance times are currently taking longer due to the increasing demand for Access to Work. We are committed to reducing waiting times for Access to Work and have streamlined delivery practices and increased the number of staff processing applications and claims.
Asked by: Alex Brewer (Liberal Democrat - North East Hampshire)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that all DWP caseworkers assessing employees in the Access to Work Plus scheme are fully trained on the scheme’s requirements.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Since Access to Work Plus began testing in 2022, Access to Work has a dedicated team of Case Managers who process Access to Work Plus applications. Case Managers underwent training to ensure the policy intent was understood and being applied consistently. There are regular reviews to ensure that DWP Case Managers understand the scheme’s requirements.
Asked by: Alex Brewer (Liberal Democrat - North East Hampshire)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps the Government is taking to ensure that companies and charities are paid on time in the Access to Work Plus Scheme.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
To enable charities and companies to receive timely payments, officials have been working in collaboration with these organisations to explore how the Access to Work Plus claims process can be made easier for their employees. In March 2025, to ensure payments can be made swiftly, a streamlined claims process was put in place to clear outstanding claims for payment. Guidance on the new process has been issued to charities and companies, and officials continue to work with the charities and companies to develop longer term improvements to the employees’ claims process.