Access to Work is a government-funded scheme that provides financial assistance and support to individuals with disabilities or health conditions who require additional help to stay in or gain employment. This includes people with ADHD.

The scheme is available to both employed and self-employed individuals, and it covers the cost of support that is beyond what an employer would normally provide.

You can get funding for a variety of aids to help manage your ADHD challenges at work, including:

• ADHD Coaching to develop strategies to manage your symptoms

• ADHD Awareness Training (or Co-Coaching with a Manager or Colleague) to help your workplace better understand and support your needs

• Virtual or In-Person Support Worker (sometimes referred to as a Personal or Virtual Assistant) for day-to-day support with executive function challenges like admin, time management or emotional regulation

• Noise-Cancelling Headphones to remove distractions

• Standing Desk and Under Desk Treadmill to help with hyperactivity

• Digital Pad or Tablet to help with note-writing and task management

• Voice-to-Text Software or Mind Mapping Software to support your learning and processing styles

• Task Management Software to aid with organising and prioritising, and reduce the load on your working memory

This list is by no means exhaustive but hopefully helps get you thinking.

My colleague Tina Squire has made a fantastically comprehensive spreadsheet of what ADHDers can get funded by ATW and how to ask for it. You can find it here, and it’s PAYF.

The specific support provided is determined on a case-by-case basis depending on individual circumstances, the impact of ADHD on work, and the recommendations of the specialist assessors.

To be eligible for funded coaching through Access to Work, you must:

1) Have a disability or health condition that affects your ability to work, and

2) Be employed or self-employed

3) Live in England, Scotland or Wales
(If you live in The Republic of Ireland or Northern Ireland then there are similar funding schemes that you can apply to)

You can apply for Access to Work whether you work full-time or part-time, and there is no requirement for a minimum number of hours worked per week.

As far as I have seen, Access to Work do provide funding support to those with and without a diagnosis of ADHD.

If you are unsure if you are eligible, you can contact Access to Work directly to discuss your situation on 0800 121 7479.

You can apply on the Government website here.

WAITING TO HEAR BACK

Hearing back from Access to Work can take a while. The waiting time to be contacted by a Case Manager has recently increased to 11-12 months.

IMPORTANT: If you are about to start or have just started a new job or business, you will likely be fast-tracked and hear back much sooner.

Also if you are employed the processing time can be faster than if you are self-employed.

In the meantime, if you are seeking funding for ADHD Coaching it is important that you find 3 coaches you’d like to work with and obtain quotes from them for the number of sessions you want. You will need to send these to your Case Manager and Assessor if you go for an assessment.

Make sure they have specific ADHD Coaching training. We recommend you look for a specialised ADHD coach with (or working towards) ICF certification or training from the ADD Coaching Academy (ADDCA). Coaching is an unregulated industry and therefore there is a very large range in the quality of coaches out there.

SPEAKING WITH YOUR CASE MANAGER AND HAVING AN ASSESSMENT

Once Access to Work have processed your application, your Case Manager will contact you by the preferred method stated on your application to speak with you about what you need funding for.

If they deem your case to be straightforward they may sign off on accommodations during that conversation. However, if you are asking for several different accommodations to be funded they will likely send you for a 90-minute assessment with a third party company. This generally takes place via video call.

These assessors sometimes have limited experience or understanding of ADHD, so it is best to prepare for that meeting by noting down what you are requesting and the justification for it.

For example:

“Noise cancelling headphones. I find it hard to concentrate in the office as I have sensory processing difficulties and get distracted by people talking. These headphones would help me focus.”

If you are requesting ADHD Coaching, you will need to present your Case Manager and/or your Assessor with the 3 quotes you obtained from coaches you wish to work with.

Some tips to bear in mind:

They may offer to find you a coach themselves. I strongly recommend you insist they take your quotes. Finding a coach is like finding a therapist - it is crucial that they are a good fit personally so that you feel safe to talk to them, and have the right skillset and experience to support you. I have unfortunately heard many times of clients being recommended coaches who have no training in ADHD Coaching and no personal lived experience of ADHD.

They will prioritise cost-effectiveness in their funding decisions and will often only fund the most ‘cost effective’ quote you provide. Therefore if there is one particular coach you want to work with, I strongly recommend including 2 alternative quotes that demonstrate the good market value of your preferred coach.

Access to Work generally operates on a reimbursement basis, so funding is not provided upfront but rather after the accommodations have been purchased. Reimbursement is claimed by submitting claim forms to Access to Work.

If you are covering the initial costs, you will need to complete the claim forms yourself. However, if your employer is the one making the initial payments, they will need to fill out the claim forms.

Reimbursement for each claim into yours or your employer’s bank account generally takes about 4 weeks but sometimes can be delayed due to the high volume of claims Access to Work have.

You can find out more and complete your claim through the Access to Work Portal here:

https://www.gov.uk/access-to-work/claiming-from-your-grant