Access to Work for deaf and disabled people under threat

Following the outcome of the general election, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has moved further to examining cutting a scheme that helps disabled people into work.

The Access to Work fund is a national scheme which helps support thousands of deaf and disabled people into work.

Potential changes to the fund now mean that those using the scheme could face restrictions on the level of support they receive. A policy document originally announced in March suggests a cap on how much the £108m fund can pay to people who use it.

The overall spend on Access to Work in 2013/2014 was £108m, covering 35,540 people.

Deaf and disabled campaigners are concerned that Access to Work budgets might be drastically cut, meaning that there is not enough money for extra support that workers need, including, personal assistants or sign language interpreters.

Campaigners argue that the Access to Work fund helps to ensure that deaf and disabled people can work, earn a wage, support their families, pay taxes and make a positive contribution to society.

Anyone looking to support the campaign against changes to Access to Work can do so by visiting:

https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/stop-changes-to-access-to-work