Access To Work Support Cut - ADVICE?

rfletcher

ANY ADVICE WELCOME - I have no idea what to do, it seems like they are making up rules in order to cut people's support?

I have a number of disabilities and conditions that qualify me for Access To Work support - and I have been awarded a Support Worker for the past two years as a freelancer.

I just had my renewal assessment and the Support Worker has been cut entirely, with the ATW case worker claiming the assessor never mentioned me needing one in their report. The assessor told me during the assessment that they were writing down my need for one as the first recommendation in their report as it was obvious I needed one. When I told the case worker that he tried to backtrack and maybe some of the report was missed off, and that even if the assessor HAD recommended it, ATW could still decide to deny it. I asked how that denial decision would be made - he said he couldn't tell me and all the info is on their website.

The case worker also asked me to fill in a form detailing what my support worker does for me - which I sent over this morning. This afternoon he got back to me saying they actually now don't allow for support workers to do the majority of the tasks I listed, so even though he hadn't heard back from the assessor yet, he was recommending I would only get a few hours at minimum wage to help set up some work equipment. The tasks I listed are all in line with actual examples from the ATW resources and website.

It seems like, even if the assessor report comes back saying I was the most in need person of a support worker in history, they've already made up their mind to deny it? Does anyone know if/how the internal guidance has changed recently? Are there any orgs people can recommend that help individuals deal with this process?

Rosie_Scope

Hi @rfletcher, I'm really sorry to hear you're struggling to get the support you need. That all sounds really stressful considering you've had your support worker in place for two years already.

Scope's helpline may also have some practical advice or be able to point you in the right direction for further support. All the details are on the website here: https://www.scope.org.uk/helpline

You could also try Citizen's Advice. Or if your conditions have specific charities, they may be worth a go too as they might have some more disability specific information available.

I'm sure our members might have some advice and experiences to share too. Sorry that I can't be more helpful at this stage. I hope you're able to find a way forward soon.

rfletcher

Thanks Rosie! I called Scope's helpline but they weren't sure how to help either - they actually suggested I post here in case anyone had any ideas… I'll have a look at citizen's advice now!

Rosie_Scope

Sorry about that @rfletcher! There may be some members around who have recent experiences of Access to Work, so I hope they'll be able to help with some advice soon. But otherwise, Citizen's Advice is probably a good place to start anyway. Best of luck finding what you need ☺️