How Much Can You Get From Access to Work? (Up to £69,260/year)

The Access to Work grant is capped at £69,260 per year. That number surprises most people. While not everyone will receive the maximum, the potential funding is substantial, and even modest awards can make a significant difference to how you work.

The Cap and How It Works

The current Access to Work cap is £69,260 per year (set in April 2024). This is the maximum annual award. Your actual grant depends on your assessed needs, and most neurodivergent workers receive significantly less than the cap, but the amounts are still meaningful.

The cap applies per person per year, regardless of whether you're employed or self-employed. If you have multiple conditions (for example, ADHD and dyslexia), the support for all of them falls under one grant.

What Typical Awards Look Like for Neurodivergent Workers

There are no published averages for neurodivergent-specific awards, but based on the types of support typically funded, here's a realistic range.

Coaching alone: 12 to 24 sessions per year at £80 to £150 per session gives a range of roughly £960 to £3,600. Coaching plus assistive technology: add £500 to £2,000 for software, hardware, and specialist equipment, bringing the total to £1,500 to £5,600. Coaching, technology, and a support worker: if you need regular help with admin, scheduling, or organisational tasks, support worker hours can push the total to £5,000 to £15,000+ per year depending on frequency.

For self-employed people with significant support needs, awards in the £10,000 to £25,000 range are realistic if the workplace assessment identifies substantial barriers.

How the Amount Is Determined

1. 1

   You apply and describe your difficulties. The initial application captures the basics: your condition, your role, and how your work is affected.

2. 2

   A case manager reviews your situation. They may ask follow-up questions about the specific tasks you struggle with and what support you think would help.

3. 3

   A workplace assessment takes place. An assessor (often a specialist occupational therapist) evaluates your needs and recommends specific support. This is the stage that determines your grant amount.

4. 4

   The assessor writes a report. The report lists recommended support items with associated costs. Access to Work uses this to calculate your award.

5. 5

   You receive a decision letter. This confirms your grant amount and what it covers. If you disagree with the assessment, you can request a review.

How to Maximise Your Grant

Be thorough during the assessment. Don't downplay your difficulties or dismiss potential support as unnecessary before you've tried it. If admin takes you three times longer than it should, say so. If you lose hours to task-switching, procrastination, or sensory overwhelm, quantify it. The assessor needs to understand the real impact of your condition on your working life.

Think broadly about what would help. People often focus on technology when coaching or a support worker might be more transformative. Consider all the areas where your condition creates friction: time management, communication, admin, project planning, sensory environment, travel. Each of these can be addressed through Access to Work.

Use our free task difficulty audit (available when you create an account) to identify where ADHD, autism or dyslexia is costing you the most time and energy. This gives you concrete data to share during the assessment.

Employer Contributions

If you're employed (not self-employed), your employer may be asked to contribute towards the cost of support, particularly if they have more than 250 employees. The employer factsheet explains how contributions are calculated. For small employers and self-employed people, Access to Work typically covers the full cost.

Sources

GOV.UK: Access to Work customer factsheet · GOV.UK: Access to Work employer factsheet · ADHD UK: Access to Work