Access to Work
The Mental Health Support Service: the lane inside Access to Work most people miss
Alongside grants for coaching and equipment, Access to Work runs a separate Mental Health Support Service for anyone whose mental health affects their work: a tailored plan and regular one-to-one support from a vocational specialist for up to 9 months, delivered by approved providers (Able Futures and Maximus per gov.uk), free and confidential. It does not reduce your grant budget, your employer does not need to be told, and you can use it once, so time it for when you can engage. For many people with ADHD it is the right home for the anxiety and burnout layer.
Information only, not medical or benefits advice. Service description from gov.uk, Access to Work; the 9-month duration and delivery detail from delivery partner Able Futures. Checked 19 July 2026.
What you actually get
- An assessment of your needs with a vocational mental health professional.
- A personalised support plan built around staying in work (or returning to it).
- Regular one-to-one sessions, remote as standard, for up to 9 months.
- Practical coping strategies for the work situations that drain you.
- Confidentiality: your employer is not told unless you choose to involve them.
How it fits an ADHD application
Treat it as the eleventh item on the ask list, not the whole application. The grant side handles the ADHD mechanics (coaching, support worker, software, equipment); the Mental Health Support Service handles the emotional load that ADHD often carries: anxiety about communication, overwhelm, and the burnout cycle of overcommitting and crashing. Ask for a referral explicitly, in the same application, and note that it is a one-time service so use it when you can genuinely engage with it. Build the rest of the list with the ask-list generator.
Related
Frequently asked questions
What is the Mental Health Support Service?
A distinct strand of Access to Work for people whose mental health affects their work: a vocational support professional builds a tailored plan and provides regular one-to-one support, typically for up to 9 months. On gov.uk the delivery partners named are Able Futures and Maximus. It is free and confidential, and your employer does not have to know.
Does using it reduce my Access to Work grant?
No. It sits outside the grant: coaching, support workers, software and equipment are funded separately, and the mental health service does not draw on that budget. If you need both, ask for both.
Can I use it more than once?
No. Gov.uk states that if you have had mental health support through Access to Work before, you cannot apply for it again. That makes timing worth thinking about: use it when you can commit to engaging with it, not as a first experiment.
I have ADHD, not a mental health condition. Is it relevant?
Often yes. Long-term anxiety, low mood and repeated burnout commonly travel with ADHD, and the service is for anyone whose mental health affects their work. Many people with ADHD use the equipment-and-coaching side for the ADHD barriers and the Mental Health Support Service for the anxiety and burnout layer. Describe both in your application if both are real.
Is it therapy?
No. It is work-focused support: coping strategies, a step-by-step plan, regular check-ins aimed at staying in or returning to work. It can sit alongside NHS talking therapy or medication, and it is not a substitute for clinical care. If you are in crisis, contact your GP, NHS 111, or the Samaritans on 116 123.
Editor, ADHD Helper
Adam leads ADHD Helper's editorial coverage of adult ADHD, and he writes it from lived experience: Adam has ADHD himself, diagnosed as an adult, and has been through the assessment routes and the daily workarounds this site covers. He is the founder and managing director of Muswell Rose and researches the plain-English explainers on getting an ADHD assessment through NHS Right to Choose or privately, and on the products and tools people use to manage ADHD, drawing on guidance from the NHS, NICE and the Royal College of Psychiatrists. He is clear that the site is information, not medical advice, and that diagnosis is for a registered clinician.
Last reviewed: 19 July 2026