Access To Work

Department of Education have confirmed that Supported Interns who were not able to meet the core aim of their internship in the 2020-21 academic year may continue their internship into the 2021-22 academic year. This will also apply to 2019-20 interns who continued into 2020-21 and  have not yet completed their internships.

We've now has confirmation that Access to Work will be extended to cover supported interns who are repeating their course.

We've had communication from the Department for Work and Pensions about the use of Access to Work within Supported Internships. Education providers have been able to claim Access to Work funding for job coaches supporting the employability of learners who are unable to be on placementt due to Covid-19. This funding was agreed to the end of January and theere has been uncertainty as to whether it will continue.

DWP has revised the application and claims process for the use of Access to Work within Supported Internships and Traineeships. The changes are mainly due to DWP's security requirements and they now need a customer signature on the application and claims forms. Access to Work are also introducing a declaration letter that the customer must sign and return before claims are approved.

DWP has issued new guidance to Supported Businesses confirming ministerial approval has been granted for the Transitional Employer Support Grant (TESG) to be claimed whilst an employee is at home due to Covid 19. The guidance also sets out the requirements for providing evidence of the continued support provided by the SB and offers options as to how signatures can be obtained.

A report Barriers to Work, commissioned by Inclusion London, has found evidence of significant problems with the Government’s disability employment support programme, Access to Work. 

The report recommends ways to improve Access to Work and reduce the adverse impacts that changes to the scheme are currently having on deaf and disabled people reliant on it to stay in employment. The recommendations have been put together and are supported by deaf and disabled people under the #StopChanges2AtW campaign.