Access to work for transport help

Sam22A

Hi, I've a colostomy bag and I'm on tube feeding through a catheder  on my chest 12-15 hours a day. I'm going for a part time job interview next week. My friend is taking me to the interview. If I'm successful work place will be 30-50 minutes drive or about an 1 hour multiple train journey from my home. Due to my very active stoma it's very difficult for me to travel with public transport normally. I've Bluebadge. I'd probably need someone /taxi drive me to work. I go my hospital appointments with hosp transport as well.  Its a NHS job and a very light office/admin work. As cost of living is rising I have to  start working. If I get this job, I'll be working 4 days a week 24 hours a week. There is a chance to work from home but may be 2 days a week. So I'll still have to travel to work 2 days a week. 

My questions 

1- Would I be eligible for access to work grant? 

2- Im on pip on both elements on enhange rate. Would this job affect my pip, especially mobility element ? 
(I think my job application is categorised as disabled worker. I'll double check this next week when I'm having the interview)

3- I'm not UC at the moment but I'll have to apply UC to get help with my rent as it's rising. If I'm on UC, would access to work allowance affect UC? 

4- How much is roughly access to work allowance? Is it paid to me once a year as a lump sum ?  If paid annually, would having this money in my account affect my UC? As this grant will be used gradually for my taxi fare weekly, would it look like extra money in my account? 

Thank you 

Tori_Scope

Hi @sam22a Welcome to the community! I'm sorry I haven't been able to reply to your post before now. 

gov.uk has some information on Access to Work, which I'd encourage you to read.

Eligibility
As part of Access to Work, you may be eligible for:

• a grant to help pay for practical support with your work

• support with managing your mental health at work

For these types of support, you must:

• have a physical or mental health condition or disability that means you need support to do your job or get to and from work

• be 16 or over

• be in paid work (or be about to start or return to paid work in the next 12 weeks)

• live and work (or be about to start or return to work) in England, Scotland or Wales - there’s a different system in Northern Ireland

There are different eligibility criteria for communication support at a job interview.
You cannot get Access to Work if you live in the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man.
Your disability, illness or health condition
You must have a disability, illness or health condition that means you need support to do your job.
This can include, for example:

• a physical disability, for example if you’re hard of hearing or use a wheelchair

• a learning disability or related condition, for example if you have Down’s syndrome

• a developmental condition, like autism spectrum disorder

• learning difficulties or differences like ADHD or dyslexia

• an illness such as diabetes or epilepsy

• a temporary condition, like a broken leg

• a mental health condition, for example anxiety or depression

You do not need to be diagnosed with a condition to apply for mental health support.
You will only need to give evidence of your condition if you’re applying for help with transport costs.
Your work
You need to have a paid job (or be about to start or return to one).
A paid job can be full or part-time and can include:

• employment

• self-employment

• an apprenticeship

• a work trial or work experience

• an internship

• a work placement

You cannot get Access to Work support for voluntary work.
You can still apply for Access to Work if you’re working from home because of coronavirus (COVID-19).

Your income and benefits

You can get support from Access to Work:

• however much you earn or have in savings
• at the same time as most benefits, as long as you work more than 1 hour a week

If you’re getting Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)

You can get Access to Work and ESA at the same time if you work less than 16 hours a week. There are rules about working while claiming ESA. You can ask your work coach for advice and support.

Practical support with your work

Access to Work could give you a grant to help pay for things like:

• BSL interpreters, lip speakers or note takers
• adaptations to your vehicle so you can get to work
• taxi fares to work or a support worker if you cannot use public transport
• a support worker or job coach to help you in your workplace

Your workplace can include your home if you work from there some or all of the time.

It does not matter how much you earn. If you get an Access to Work grant, it will not affect any other benefits you get and you will not have to pay it back.

Claiming money from your grant

Your decision letter will explain how to claim the money from your grant.

You or your employer might need to pay for the support you need at first. Your letter will tell you how to claim money back.

Keep your invoices and receipts as evidence.

For some services, Access to Work pays the provider directly. Your decision letter will explain how to set this up.

I know that might not directly answer all of your questions, but I hope that it's a helpful starting point  

Sam22A

Hi, thank you for your reply. I'll go through all the information. It'll definitely give me some idea about how things work. Thank you again. 

L_Volunteer

Hi @Sam22A. You are welcome, it is the least you deserve. Please let us know if you would like to talk it through further with someone or need any further support with it. We are all here for you