Disability and Accessibility Grants

Access to Work is a DWP grant scheme that helps disabled people and people with long-term health conditions to start or stay in work. It provides practical and financial support towards the extra costs of working that arise because of a disability or health condition. Support can include specialist equipment, adaptations to the workplace, a support worker, travel to work if you cannot use public transport, and communication support for deaf people.

The grant is available to employees, self-employed people, and apprentices. There is no upper limit on the support available, though larger grants are subject to cost-sharing with employers for businesses above a certain size. You apply through the Access to Work helpline or GOV.UK, and a case manager will assess your needs. The scheme is significantly underutilised — many eligible people are unaware of it.

The Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) helps pay for essential adaptations to your home to make it safe and accessible if you or someone in your household is disabled. In England and Wales, grants of up to £30,000 are means-tested and administered by local authorities. Eligible works include stair lifts, ramps, wider doorways, accessible bathrooms, and ground-floor extensions where needed.

To apply, contact your local council's housing or adult social care team. An occupational therapist will assess what adaptations are needed. The grant covers mandatory works recommended by the OT assessment. Processing times vary considerably between councils, and some have long waiting lists. If the DFG does not cover all costs, councils can offer discretionary top-up funding in some cases.

Individuals with disabilities can access grants from many charitable foundations. Motability provides grants towards vehicles for disabled people. Family Fund grants are available to families raising disabled or seriously ill children. Turn2us operates a charitable fund directory where individuals can search for grants matching their circumstances.

For businesses, the Access to Work employer element supports workplace adaptations. The Inclusive Transport Fund and similar programmes fund accessibility improvements to public buildings and transport. Charities delivering disability services can access funding from Sport England's disability sport programmes, the National Lottery Community Fund, and disability-focused foundations such as Scope and RNIB's own grant programmes for partner organisations.

Access to Work is one of the most significant but underused disability employment schemes in the UK. The annual cap on support was increased to £66,000 per year for 2024/25, meaning individuals with high support needs can access very substantial assistance. Support can include: specialist equipment and software; a support worker or job coach; British Sign Language interpreters or other communication support for deaf workers; travel costs where the individual cannot use public transport; and mental health support through the Access to Work Mental Health Support Service (which provides up to nine months of support from an employment specialist).

The scheme is available to employees, self-employed people, and people about to start a job or self-employment, including apprentices. For employed individuals, the employer typically applies jointly with the employee, though self-employed applicants apply independently. For larger employers, there is a cost-sharing element for support above a threshold, but for small employers (fewer than 50 staff) Access to Work covers the full cost. Applications can be made before starting a job as well as once in post. The DWP case manager assesses needs and agrees a support package — reassessments are carried out periodically.

Motability is primarily a personal scheme allowing disabled people to lease a car, scooter, or powered wheelchair using their mobility component of PIP, DLA, or AFIP. For business use, if a self-employed person uses their Motability vehicle partly for business, this is generally permitted subject to the scheme's terms. Organisations employing disabled people who need vehicle adaptations for work may be able to combine Motability (covering the base vehicle) with Access to Work (covering additional workplace-specific adaptations or modifications beyond the standard Motability offer). Motability also has a Specialist Vehicle Grant for vehicles requiring significant bespoke adaptation, which can be combined with Access to Work support for business-related modifications.