Access to work

epicem

Hello,

I am writing in the hopes that you may be able to provide me with some assistance and advice.

I currently work at a small charity that relies on grants for funding, including my salary. We have approximately £40k in reserves, which is considered good practice for charities in case of funding loss.

I have various health conditions, both physical and mental, including chronic pain, fatigue, and Visual Processing. In July 2023, I was granted Access to Work, which provided me with disability training for staff, ADHD coaching, noise-canceling headphones, a sit-stand desk, an ergonomic chair with heated pads, a footrest, and one taxi per week to work.

Due to my deteriorating health and recommendations from my ADHD coach, I submitted a change of circumstances in April 2024 and was assessed last week. Today, I received the following email:

"Following your recent workplace assessment, I have received your report. Here are the recommendations made by our assessor:

Items we will fund:
- TextHelp Read and Write (3 Year Subscription)
- 1 x 2 hours of Technical Training for TextHelp (Virtual)
- Grammarly Premium

This support does not cover the items below, as they are considered reasonable adjustments for an employer to put in place. An employer should provide these if the employee needs them as standard items and as a reasonable adjustment:

Items we will not fund:
- HP V27i (27”) Full HD Monitor
- Comfort Leg Rest (Double)
- Adapt 660 Ergonomic Chair
- ASUS CM14 Flip 14” 2 in 1 Chromebook Flown (1 year membership)
- Anti-glare screen hood
- Kensington Smart Fit Easy Rider Ergonomic Portable Laptop Cooling Stand
- Anti-fatigue mat
- 2 x Arm Rests
- Adobe Acrobat Pro (for OCR)"

I responded to this email, explaining that our small charity does not have the funds to make these reasonable adjustments, as we do not have a budget for them. The cost of these adjustments would be unfeasible for a small organization like ours.

The response I received was:

"Thank you for your email. Access to Work does not fund standard items or items which would be deemed a reasonable adjustment for the employer to provide. An employer, regardless of their size, has a legal responsibility and is required to make reasonable adjustments to ensure workers with disabilities or physical or mental health conditions are not substantially disadvantaged when doing their jobs."

I am confused by this response because I was previously awarded the same chair last year, but now I am not being awarded one for home use. Additionally, a footrest was awarded last year, but despite my condition declining, the leg rest is no longer deemed suitable.

It is important to note that I have reasonable adjustments in place, including no sickness triggers, flexible working, extended breaks, and breaks when needed (as long as I complete my required hours). I also have the ability to work from home without notice.

My understanding is that reasonable adjustments are only considered reasonable if they meet certain criteria, one of which is financial viability for the company. The use of the word "required" in the response from Access to Work makes me question their understanding of this concept.

I am concerned that if this is the new approach of Access to Work, especially for small local charities, it will result in disabled people becoming unemployed and small charities looking to employ non-disabled candidates.

I would greatly appreciate any advice on how to proceed in this situation.