# Access to Work application checklist (ADHD)

From ADHD Helper, adhdhelper.co.uk/access-to-work/application-pack/
Version: 27 July 2026. Information only, not benefits advice. The DWP decides every award.

## 1. Quick eligibility check (tick all that apply)

- [ ] I am 16 or over
- [ ] I live in England, Scotland or Wales (Northern Ireland has a separate scheme, Workable NI)
- [ ] I am in paid work, or about to start or return to paid work within the next 12 weeks
- [ ] My ADHD (or another condition) affects my ability to do my job, or means I need support to do it
- [ ] If self-employed: my business turns over at least 6,500 pounds a year

Access to Work is not means tested. You do not need a formal ADHD diagnosis to apply, but you will describe how your condition affects your work.
Source: gov.uk, Access to Work: eligibility (checked 19 July 2026).

## 2. Information to gather before you apply

- [ ] National Insurance number
- [ ] Workplace address and postcode
- [ ] Employer contact (name, email, phone) if employed
- [ ] Unique Taxpayer Reference (UTR) if self-employed
- [ ] Your job title and a plain list of what the job actually involves day to day
- [ ] Your barrier list: each way ADHD makes the job harder, with a real example
- [ ] Your ask list: the support you want to request for each barrier (use the ask-list generator at adhdhelper.co.uk/tools/atw-ask-list-generator/ or the printable ask list in this pack)
- [ ] Rough costs or product names for any equipment or software you already know you need
- [ ] Notes on anything you already self-fund (headphones, apps, a bookkeeper): evidence the need is real

## 3. Apply

- [ ] Apply online at gov.uk/access-to-work/apply (the online service), or
- [ ] Phone the Access to Work helpline: 0800 121 7479
- [ ] Keep a note of the date you applied and any reference number

## 4. After you apply

- [ ] Expect a wait: the National Audit Office reported average processing of 66 days in 2024/25, peaking at 109 days in November 2025 (NAO, The Access to Work scheme, 6 February 2026)
- [ ] Take the assessor's call: it is a conversation about barriers and solutions. Have your barrier list and ask list in front of you
- [ ] Ask to see the draft assessment report and check every item you requested is in it
- [ ] When the award letter arrives, check what is approved, for how much, and the claim process
- [ ] Claim your costs within 9 months: the factsheet gives you 9 months to claim (gov.uk Access to Work factsheet for customers, 2026/27)
- [ ] If something is refused, ask for the reasons and go back to the case manager

## Key facts (2026/27)

- Cap per year: 69,260 pounds
- Employer cost share applies only to special aids, equipment and adaptations when you have been in post more than 6 weeks. Support workers, travel, interview support, the Mental Health Support Service and all self-employed support are 100 percent funded
- Sources: gov.uk Access to Work factsheets for customers and employers, checked 19 July 2026

This checklist is information only, not benefits advice. Free personal advice: Citizens Advice and local welfare rights services.