Equipment and technology
- Noise-cancelling headphones
- Tablets or devices that support your workflow
- Ergonomic keyboards and desk equipment
- Specialist software and organisational tools
Access to Work Funding
Government funding that can help cover ADHD coaching, workplace support, equipment and practical adjustments.
What Access to Work is
Access to Work is a UK government scheme that helps disabled and neurodivergent people stay in work by funding practical support. That can include ADHD coaching, specialist equipment, workplace adjustments, support workers and extra travel costs where needed.
If your condition affects how you work, even if you are self-employed, this may be available to you. A lot of people either do not know it exists or assume it will not apply to them. Quite often, it does.
For a wider explanation of ADHD support in the UK, including NHS pathways, Right to Choose, shared care and workplace support, see my guide to ADHD support in the UK.
Step by step guide
If you want the full process explained properly, start with this guide. It breaks things down in plain English, with practical examples for ADHD and other neurodivergent workers.
What funding can be used for
Access to Work is not just for one thing. It can cover a mix of support, depending on your role, your working environment, and what gets in the way for you.
Practical workplace support
- ADHD coaching or job coaching
- Support workers or personal assistants
- Workplace adjustments and alternative setups
- Extra travel costs where public transport is not workable
How much funding can you get
There is no fixed amount that everyone receives. Access to Work looks at your job, your needs, the barriers you are dealing with, and what support would make the biggest difference.
- It is assessed individually
- It is not means tested
- It can apply to employed and self-employed people
- The aim is to help you stay in work and function more effectively
That means your award should reflect what you actually need, not some generic idea of support.
How to apply
The process is not always as clear as it should be, but the basic steps are fairly straightforward once you know what they are.
Start your application
Go to the official GOV.UK Access to Work page and begin the online application.
Explain how work is affected
You will be asked about your job, your condition, and the problems you are having at work. You do not need to write an essay, but you do need to be clear about what is hard and why.
Prepare for assessment
You may be asked for supporting information, and in some cases an assessor will help identify what support would be useful. This is often the point where people realise they can ask for more than they first thought.
Receive your award
If approved, you will receive an award letter explaining what has been funded and how it will be arranged or claimed. Employees and self-employed people often handle this part slightly differently.
You will usually need your National Insurance number, and if you are self-employed you may also need your UTR.
How I can help
You do not have to work this out on your own. A lot of people know they are struggling, but are not sure how to describe what they need or what they can reasonably ask for.
Practical guidance
- Checking whether Access to Work is likely to apply to you
- Helping you think through what support would genuinely help
- Talking through wording before you apply
- Helping you prepare for conversations with assessors or employers
Support that carries on
- ADHD coaching that can often be funded through Access to Work
- Ongoing support while things are being arranged
- Help making sense of what has been approved
- Support using the funding in a way that actually helps day to day
Access to Work and the wider ADHD support system
Access to Work can help with the workplace side of things, but it often sits alongside other parts of the ADHD system, including diagnosis, medication, shared care and NHS support.
Quite a few people end up dealing with all of these at the same time. Trying to hold down work while waiting for assessment. Trying to manage medication issues while applying for workplace support. Trying to explain the impact of ADHD to employers while also chasing referrals or shared care agreements.
If you are dealing with the NHS side as well, these pages explain more about Right to Choose and shared care problems and how ADHD shared care plans work in practice.
Useful next steps
If you want the full guide, practical ADHD support, or just a starting point, these pages will help.
Frequently asked questions
Can Access to Work fund ADHD coaching?
Yes, in many cases it can. Coaching is often funded where it is directly linked to helping you manage barriers at work.
Do I need a formal diagnosis to apply?
Not always. Access to Work looks at whether a health condition or disability affects your work. A formal diagnosis can help, but it is not the only route.
Can self-employed people apply?
Yes. Access to Work is available to self-employed people as well as employees, provided the condition affects your ability to work.
Is Access to Work means tested?
No. It is not based on your income or savings.
Can you help me work out what to ask for?
Yes. That is often the hardest bit. I can help you think through what is genuinely difficult at work and what support would make the most difference.
Need help with Access to Work?
If you want to talk it through properly, book a free discovery call or send me a message. No pressure, just a clear starting point.