Data
Access to Work delays: the published figures, tracked
Access to Work has a large, well-documented backlog. The published record: applications awaiting a decision almost trebled from 21,700 in March 2022 to 62,100 in March 2025 (National Audit Office), reaching 66,700 outstanding by February 2026 (Public Accounts Committee). Average processing time rose from 28 days in 2020/21 to 66 days in 2024/25, hitting 109 days in November 2025. Behind it is demand: users up 97% since 2018/19 and spend nearly doubled to £321m. This page compiles every published figure with its primary source.
Information only. Every figure below is a published number from a named primary source, last verified 19 July 2026. There is no official live waiting-time feed; where data does not exist we say so rather than estimate.
The tracker
| Figure | What it measures | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 21,700 to 62,100 | applications waiting for a DWP decision almost trebled between March 2022 and March 2025 | March 2022 to March 2025 | National Audit Office, The Access to Work scheme (6 Feb 2026) |
| 66,700 | outstanding Access to Work applications by February 2026, up from 6,900 in March 2022, per the Public Accounts Committee | February 2026 | House of Commons Public Accounts Committee, The Access to Work scheme (2026) |
| 28 days to 66 days | average time for DWP to process an application, 2020/21 versus 2024/25 | 2020/21 to 2024/25 | National Audit Office, The Access to Work scheme (6 Feb 2026) |
| 109 days | average processing time reached in November 2025, the worst month in the NAO reporting period | November 2025 | National Audit Office, The Access to Work scheme (6 Feb 2026) |
| 6,900 to 31,700 | outstanding requests for payment more than quadrupled between March 2022 and March 2025 | March 2022 to March 2025 | National Audit Office, The Access to Work scheme (6 Feb 2026) |
| 37,700 to 74,200 | people receiving payments from the scheme rose 97% between 2018/19 and 2024/25, the demand behind the backlog | 2018/19 to 2024/25 | National Audit Office, The Access to Work scheme (6 Feb 2026) |
| £163m to £321m | DWP spend on Access to Work almost doubled between 2018/19 and 2024/25, forecast to reach £517m by 2029/30 | 2018/19 to 2024/25 | National Audit Office, The Access to Work scheme (6 Feb 2026) |
| 247 to 588 staff | full-time equivalent staff administering the scheme, 2021/22 versus 2024/25, with further recruitment announced in 2026 to clear the backlog | 2021/22 to 2024/25 | National Audit Office, The Access to Work scheme (6 Feb 2026); DWP recruitment announcement (gov.uk, 2026) |
What is NOT published (the gaps)
- No official per-condition breakdown of processing times, so there is no published "ADHD applications take X days" figure. Any site quoting one without a source is guessing.
- No live public queue counter. The outstanding-applications numbers above are point-in-time figures from NAO and PAC reporting.
- No published forecast of individual waiting times, only the aggregate backlog trajectory and the DWP's recruitment response.
What it means if you are applying
Apply early and treat the wait as part of the plan: the published averages are months, not weeks. The application itself is free and does not require a diagnosis; our step-by-step guide covers doing it well, and the ask-list generator makes sure the wait ends in a properly scoped award rather than a thin one.
Cite this tracker
To reference these figures, please credit ADHD Helper and link to this page:
Source: ADHD Helper, Access to Work delays tracker, https://adhdhelper.co.uk/data/access-to-work-delays/ (accessed 2026-07-19). DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.21445117
This tracker is archived with a permanent DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.21445117. Download the compiled figures: Access to Work backlog and delays, published figures (CSV). Primary sources: NAO report, PAC report, DWP recruitment announcement.
Frequently asked questions
How long does Access to Work take right now?
There is no live official waiting-time counter, so the honest answer is a range from the published record: average processing rose from 28 days in 2020/21 to 66 days in 2024/25, reaching 109 days in November 2025 (NAO), with 66,700 applications outstanding by February 2026 (PAC). Individual experiences vary widely around those averages.
Why is there a backlog?
Demand roughly doubled: the number of people receiving payments rose 97% between 2018/19 and 2024/25, and spend nearly doubled to £321m, while staffing grew more slowly (247 to 588 full-time equivalents by 2024/25). The NAO concluded the backlog would not fall significantly without policy change, more budget or productivity improvement, and the DWP announced further recruitment in 2026.
Should the delays put me off applying?
No, the opposite: a queue this long is a reason to join it early. An application costs nothing, does not need a diagnosis, and support is scoped from your application date context. Our how-to-apply guide covers doing it efficiently.
How current is this tracker?
Every row shows its source and period, and the whole page shows its last-verified date. We update it when the DWP, NAO or Parliament publish new figures. If you spot a newer published number, the contact page tells you how to reach us.
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