Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what consideration has been given to allowing appointees to use the Access to Work online portal.

The Access to Work online portal has been designed to ensure that customers can manage their own claims securely and efficiently, following identity verification to protect personal information and prevent fraud. At present, the service does not include functionality for appointees to submit claims on behalf of customers. This is because the portal relies on individual identity verification to maintain the security and integrity of the process.

However, we continue to provide a paper-based route for appointees to ensure that support remains available for those who need it.