09 January 2023 , 14:26
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Tens of thousands of disabled people are being stranded for months without cash under a government help-to-work scheme.
Waiting times have skyrocketed for Access to Work, which funds office adaptations and travel assistance so people can do their jobs.
More than 38,000 people were paid grants last year.
But some people have told employment advisors they lost their jobs because they could not get the cash in time.
The average “clearance” time for applications almost doubled from 32.5 days in November 2021 to 63.1 days in October 2022.
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By November 25,289 people were waiting for a decision on their claim, up from 8,435 in February 2020. One unlucky person waited 254 working days - about a year.
'The delays have caused my customers to lose their jobs', said one advisor (stock photo) (Getty Images/iStockphoto)An employment advisor for the charity Scope said some clients cannot get a start date until they receive equipment under the scheme.
They said: “The delays have caused my customers to lose their jobs, as they have waited almost until their six months’ probation is up to get equipment.
“By then, they have either been sacked or quit as they’re too stressed to keep up with the workload without the support.”
The figures were uncovered by Labour ’s welfare chief, who will give a speech on Tuesday promising reforms to speed up the scheme.
Jonathan Ashworth blasted: “Under the Tories, the backlog has trebled and waiting times have doubled.
“This shows the Government is not serious about tackling the crisis of economic inactivity - a crisis caused by 12 years of economic failure, soaring NHS waiting lists and the Tories crashing the economy.”
Adaptations can help people work (stock photo) (Getty Images/iStockphoto)Access to Work grants began in 1994 to help disabled people start or stay in work.
They also pay for vehicle adaptations, support staff, mental health help, and communications support for interviews.
Grants can go as high as £65,180, but the average help last year was worth just under £4,000 per person.
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The delays come despite ministers celebrating hitting a target to get a million more disabled people into work five years early.
Thomas Hamilton-Shaw of Scope said: “These disgraceful delays are stopping disabled people getting into and staying in work, at a time when many of us are struggling to put food on the table.
“Scope is hearing from disabled people who have either been unable to start new jobs, have had to quit or even been sacked, because it’s taking far too long to get the support they’re entitled to from Access to Work.
“There are a million disabled people in the UK who want to work but are denied the opportunity.
“Access to Work is supposed to make it easier, but instead, disabled people are being let down and pushed out of the workplace. The government needs to sort out this backlog much quicker.”
Fazilet Hadi of Disability Rights UK added: “These Delays are stopping Disabled people taking up employment and leaving existing Disabled employees without the tools to do their jobs.
“The emotional stress and potential to lose jobs and incomes is very real.”
Labour obtained the figures through a Freedom of Information request and written questions in Parliament.
Minister for Disabled People Tom Pursglove insisted more staff had been recruited to clear the backlog after a “significant increase in applications”.
He added people who “are starting work within the next four weeks, or have a grant coming to an end that requires renewal, are prioritised”.