Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to introduce formal service standards for Access to Work, including maximum waiting times for decisions and a fast track for cases in which an individual's job is at risk.

The current productivity standard for Access to Work (AtW) caseworkers is based on a 2021 work study and is now recognised as outdated and unrealistic within today’s operational environment (sections 3.9–3.13 of the National Audit Office report). Since 2021, the nature of the work has changed significantly. Post‑COVID operating conditions have resulted in a different mix and complexity of case types, with a marked increase in applications involving multiple adjustments, fluctuating conditions, and support for customers with neurodiverse needs. As a result, the original productivity benchmark no longer reflects the true handling effort required of caseworkers.

Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) have now been introduced to improve consistent decisions, strengthen quality checks, and enhance Case Manager calls with customers and employers. Early results show 93% customer contact within three calls. Outcomes are positive with further expansion planned. It is important that this SOP is fully embedded in day‑to‑day operations before the new work study is conducted, so that the study accurately reflects the future steady‑state environment in which caseworkers will be operating.

We have committed to recruiting and training an additional 480 staff to process the higher volume of applications, that is a 72.5% increase to the existing 658 staff already working on Access to Work. Recruitment has already begun, and new case managers will receive extensive training to handle complex applications with confidence. This is to ensure disabled people, and people with health conditions can receive timely support to secure and remain in employment. We are keen to ensure Access to Work remains fair and sustainable.

To protect employment opportunities, case managers prioritise AtW applications where the customer is due to start a job within four weeks, as well as new job starts and grant renewals. In 2025, we allocated c. 96% of applications starting work within 4 weeks in 28 days. We will draw on the outcomes of the Green Paper consultation, the Collaboration Committees, and the upcoming work on the Independent Disability Advisory Panel to inform and help shape the future direction of Access to Work. We are continuing to refine policy options, and ministers will announce next steps when the policy, evidence, and delivery plans are fully developed.