There is a huge backlog in the number of new or existing Access to Work applications being processed, which drastically affects the level of job security and employer finances. That’s according to a report by the Comptroller and Auditor General, which revealed some startling reasons why the number of applicants waiting in the system is so high and examined different ways to solve these issues.
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Among the many reasons explored for the waiting list, there were various statistics affecting certain groups of people. These included:
Applications to the Access to Work scheme more than doubled between 2018‑19 and 2024‑25 (from 76,100 to 157,000), believed to be driven by increased identification of mental health conditions and neurodiversity.
Despite the Department for Work & Pensions (DWP) doubling the number of staff working on the scheme, the increased take-up has led to significant processing delays and backlogs. In 2024-25, it took DWP, on average, 66 days to process applications, reaching 109 days in November 2025.
DWP’s spending on Access to Work in 2024-25 was almost twice as much as in 2018‑19 (from £163m to £321m), with a 125% rise in spending on support workers.
As the government looks to improve the scheme, the National Audit Office (NAO) recommends that DWP should close data gaps and build evaluation into future changes so the scheme’s impact, effectiveness, and value for money can be properly assessed.
The number of people experiencing delays and backlogs when applying for support has doubled over the past four years, with the average time taken for the DWP to process applications increasing from 28 days in 2020-21 to 66 days in 2024-25. This drastically affects job security and employer cash flow.
The number of applications waiting for DWP to make a decision almost trebled, from 21,700 in March 2022 to 62,100 in March 2025. The number of outstanding requests for payment more than quadrupled, from 6,900 to 31,700 over the same period.
The latest report from the independent public spending watchdog, the Access to Work scheme, investigates DWP’s operation of the scheme to help inform public debate on its future.
Access to Work clearly has benefits in helping people get, or stay in, work if they have a physical or mental health condition or disability, and demand for the scheme has soared. However, despite the number of DWP staff working on the scheme doubling, processing delays and backlogs have created difficulties for individuals and employers, including reduced job security and cashflow pressures for businesses, particularly small businesses.
There has been a vast increase in the number of complaints to the Department of Work and Pensions regarding the Access to Work system. This increased from 234 in 2022-23 to 657 in 2024-25, with 800 in the first six months of 2025-26, most relating to delays in processing applications.
As demand has increased, so has spending. DWP’s spending on Access to Work nearly doubled in real terms between 2018-19 and 2024-25, rising from £163 million to £321 million. This increase was largely driven by a 125% increase in spending on support workers, such as British Sign Language interpreters and job aides who help people carry out their work. Total spending is forecast to reach £517 million by 2029-30.
The scheme is demand‑led, and DWP exceeded its budget in 2018-19, 2019-20, and 2022-23 by an average of £3.6 million. The department has to cover any overspend from its wider departmental budget.
The latest data suggests there has been a shift from mainly supporting individuals with physical conditions to those who suffer from mental health or learning disabilities. The total number of people who received payments from the scheme increased by 97% from 37,700 in 2018-19 to 74,200 in 2024-25, with just over half (51%) having mental health or learning conditions in 2024‑25.
To try to manage the increased take-up of the scheme, the department has increased staffing (247 full-time equivalents in 2021-22 to 588 in 2024-25) and made productivity improvements. However, the report finds that systems remain inefficient, and the backlog is not expected to fall significantly without policy change, additional budget, or productivity improvements.
The NAO has several recommendations to support DWP in how it can strengthen how it administers the current scheme while also planning for improvements that can be implemented in the future. These include:
Address gaps in administrative and survey data and implement any scheme changes in a way that allows evaluation of effectiveness and value for money.
Update guidance so it aligns more closely with the scheme’s objectives and supports caseworkers in making consistent decisions.
Improve the quality of data collected on case progress and use analytical techniques (such as process mining) to identify and resolve bottlenecks in the customer journey.
Complete the work study to set a new productivity standard and develop an action plan, including innovative approaches, to help case managers meet it.
Gareth Davies, head of the NAO, said:
“The Access to Work scheme plays a valuable role in helping people with disabilities or long-term health conditions secure and sustain employment, and demand for the scheme has grown significantly. Maximising the value for money of the scheme will require the government to improve how it administers the current system, get on top of the backlogs, and properly assess the scheme’s impact.”
The National Audit Office (NAO) is the UK’s independent public spending watchdog, which audits government departments and reports to Parliament on value for money and delivery of public services. Access to Work is a government scheme that provides practical and financial support for disabled people or those with long-term health conditions to help them start or stay in work, including funding for workplace adjustments, support workers, and specialist equipment. Demand for Access to Work has risen alongside increased recognition of mental health and neurodiversity in the workplace, with government data showing a growing proportion of claimants with mental health or learning conditions.
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Read more from Ashish Prabhu
Ashish Prabhu, Company Director and Freelance Journalist
I’m a multi-award-winning freelance journalist who covers news, current affairs, and sports stories, specialising in disability, equality, and diversity issues.
