Disabled people seeking employment support through Access to Work are being told they could wait up to 37 weeks for a decision on their claim, the Department for Work and Pensions has confirmed

Disabled individuals are being told that they could face a wait of 37 weeks for a crucial benefit, which is part of a significant government scheme. The Labour government has initiated a substantial reform of the welfare system, expressing its desire to see more people with disabilities return to work.

The Access to Work benefit was utilised as part of its strategy to assist thousands of individuals with health conditions to re-enter the workforce, aiming for an 80 percent employment rate, as declared last year. However, the Department of Work and Pensions has now conceded that there is a delay for new applicants seeking assistance through the benefit, which aids those with additional needs to either enter or continue working.

Helga Swidenbank, the DWP director of accessibility, disability and disputes, confirmed during her testimony to the Commons public accounts committee following a report into the issue by the National Audit Office, that individuals calling to make a claim were being informed they could have to wait 37 weeks. She clarified: “When a customer calls our Access to Work helpline, we have a voice recording that will tell them how long it is likely to take for a decision to be made.

“At the moment, we are saying 37 weeks, so that information is out there and accessible to customers.” She stated this was the maximum duration it would take; however, it elicited a reaction from other committee members who were surprised by the news.

After committee member Blake Stephenson uttered: “Thirty-seven weeks!”, committee chair, Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, told her: “Can I stop you there? I hear Blake complaining. He is quite right to do so-37 weeks is more than six months.”

Neil Couling, Director General, DWP Services and Fraud, said he was going to “offer a glimmer of hope”, adding: “In the report, the average time taken was 109 days. It is starting to turn. I am not saying this is acceptable or that I am pleased with this, but I am encouraged that it is now down to 106.”

He said once “you start getting some momentum” the numbers do start to fall. adding: “The situation is starting to turn, through the actions we have taken. But we prioritise those in work, or those about to start work, and then the payment backlogs first, because to us that seemed like a logical way to deal with the problem that we had.”

However Mr Stephenson continued: “Yes. I just cannot imagine the frustration that our constituents would feel on hearing an automated voice message tell them that it could take 37 weeks for them to have a decision. That is why I was exasperated.”

Labour MP Amanda Hack, a member of the work and pensions committee, who was attending the session as a guest, said: “It is very hard not to be distracted by the 37 weeks figure-I had my first baby quicker than 37 weeks. We do not really appreciate the fact that, behind the figure, there is a person waiting for their claim, or an employer waiting to employ somebody.

“That is a really difficult premise-the fact there is an individual sitting behind each claim. There is clear evidence that the backlog is having an impact, whether that is on job security for those with a current open claim, or on employers taking on a new person.”

The National Audit Office report found that in November 2025 the average time taken for a decision claim was 109 days. However the DWP has a target of 25 days, reports the Mirror.

The committee heard the delays were preventing people from securing employment and impacting businesses who were not receiving the funds they were entitled to. Charities were also being affected by it.

Sir Peter Schofield, DWP permanent secretary, said the number of claims had doubled since the start of the covid pandemic and claims were increasingly more complex. He also said people were claiming for help through the scheme for bills their employer should pay – such as suitable chairs.

He added some employers were also “misusing” the scheme to get disabled workers to apply for grants for support workers who were then doing jobs that the employer would normally employ someone else to do. He explained that priority was given to those “who have a job offer, are waiting to work and should be ready to start work in the next four weeks”. He added that those “go to the front of the queue”.

He stated that measures were being implemented to tackle the backlog, including recruiting additional staff to process Access To Work claims, as well as enhancing the consistency of decision making and productivity. He added: “By way of arithmetic, unless demand continues to grow again, that will inexorably reduce the backlog and get us down to where we need to get to.”