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Funding your support

Access to Work: fund your ADHD coaching and neurodiversity support

The UK government grant that funds the support you need to do your job.

Check your eligibility on gov.uk
Illustration of a neurodivergent adult working comfortably with supportive tools around them.
What Access to Work is

A government grant for the support you need to do your job

Access to Work is run by the Department for Work and Pensions. It gives you funding for support that goes beyond the adjustments your employer should already be making. It can help you start a job, stay in a job, or move into self-employment.

It will not affect any other benefits you receive, and you do not have to pay it back.

A note for HR and managers

Every workplace should know Access to Work exists. If you look after people, please tell your team about it and put it in your onboarding or wellbeing information. It is one of the clearest ways someone with a disability or health condition can get the support they need to do their job well. It costs you nothing to share, and it can change someone's working life.

The detail

What you need to know

Tap each question to expand

Support is tailored to you and the barriers you face at work. Things people have had funded include:

  • ADHD or neurodiversity coaching
  • Assistive software and apps
  • Equipment such as a reMarkable tablet or noise-cancelling headphones
  • A support worker for tasks you find hard, such as help with admin or filing
  • Money towards extra travel costs to and from work
  • Support at a job interview if you find communication difficult

To qualify, you need to:

  • Be 16 or over
  • Be in paid work, or about to start or return to paid work within the next 12 weeks
  • Live and work in England, Scotland or Wales
  • Be employed or self-employed

There is a separate system in Northern Ireland, and you cannot apply from the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man.

Most of the cost is covered by the Department for Work and Pensions. If you are self-employed or just starting a new role, they usually pay the full amount. If you are an existing employee, your employer may contribute a share, and how much depends on the size of the business. Smaller employers often pay nothing at all.

Access to Work usually gets in touch around 12 weeks before your support is due to end, and you can renew through the online portal. One thing worth knowing: coaching tends to be a one-off block of sessions, so it is not something you renew each year. Equipment and software are different. You can review these at renewal, and since technology moves so fast, it is often worth asking for updated tools when you do.

What I've learned as a coach

The bits the official guidance won't tell you

From my experience
Coaching is usually a one-off award

In my experience, ADHD coaching tends to be granted once, as a block of around 10 to 12 sessions. It is not something that renews every year, so it is worth making the most of it.

From my experience
Do your research before you apply

Think about what would genuinely help you day to day, whether that is coaching, specific software, a reMarkable, or noise-cancelling headphones. Going in with a clear picture makes the whole thing smoother. Remember it is there to help you do your job. If you are self-employed it can cover some work-related costs, but it is not meant to fund starting a business from scratch.

From my experience
Apply when you start a new job, if you feel comfortable

I would encourage anyone starting a new role to look into it. You will need to tell your employer, so make sure you feel ready to do that first. It is also one of the best routes to funded coaching. Most of my UK clients first came to me after receiving their Access to Work award.

The process

How to apply, step by step

Before you start, know this: Access to Work is one of the things I'm genuinely proud of the UK for having. It's also famously slow and a bit of a slog, especially the first time. The process can be mundane and drawn out, so go in prepared and give yourself some patience. It's worth it.

Step 1 of 5

1
Step one
Plan what you need

Before you start, think through the support that would actually help you: coaching, software, equipment, travel. A clear idea makes your application stronger.

2
Step two
Start your application on gov.uk

Go to gov.uk/access-to-work to check your eligibility and fill in the form. If it is your first time, start a brand new application rather than a renewal.

3
Step three
Wait to be contacted

After you apply, there is usually a wait of a couple of months, depending on how busy they are. Then an official assessor gets in touch.

4
Step four
Have your assessment

You will talk through your job, what you do day to day, and where you struggle. This is your moment to explain the support you would like.

5
Step five
Get your award

If it is approved, you are told what is funded and for how long. Your employer usually pays first and claims the cost back, or providers are paid directly.

The process can feel like hard work, especially the first time, but it is worth it.

Thinking about coaching?

Access to Work can fund ADHD and neurodiversity coaching, and most of my UK clients first came to me this way. If you would like to talk through whether coaching is right for you, book a free chemistry call.

Book a chemistry call

This page is based on Kim's experience as a coach and the rules at the time of writing. Access to Work rules and figures change over time, so always check the latest information on gov.uk before you apply. This is not official government or benefits advice.