Access to Work

ladybelle

Does anyone have any experience of this service ? Is it hard to get sorted or funding ?
I am being helped by a Disability Advisor and it is sounding really long winded and complicated. I had meetings with my HR after occupational health report, and the advisor came in with me, and at that point he said he was sure I would be able to get support so I agreed to try and get to my new job site, and it's supposed to be starting in July but he said today it wouldnt be sorted that quickly, and he says I need a further medical report from my GP and I have to make a statement too.
I'm worried now maybe I wont be able to get it sorted ?
Has anyone else been successful ?

GlasweJen

I use access to work. The process seems long and complicated but the worst bit to get through is the actual establishing what support they are giving you. After that they might try to take a while to instal but you just need to keep on them and remind them of your starting date.

dori2o

As GlasweJen says keep on at them, email/phone as they are a little lax.

If you get help travelling to/from work via taxi etc, then I've found they are not that good at processing payments within their own 10 day timescale. On average it takes 3-4 weeks to get my payments through after submitting my claim form and invoice. Luckily the taxi company offers the opportunity to have an account so I'm never out of pocket, and the taxi company are very understanding about it.

GlasweJen

My invoices are never paid on the right day, I'd definitely make sure you can get an account with the taxi co before you let them write in the agreement that you have to use x company.

ladybelle

Are you able to choose your specific taxi company ? even specific driver or car ?

dori2o

ladybelle wrote: »

Are you able to choose your specific taxi company ? even specific driver or car ?

I think that will depend on the taxi company.

I had to get 3 quotes, I could only get 2 as despite contacting 10 companies 6 didn't respond, and 2 said they don't deal with Access to Work.

I told AtW which taxi company I wanted to use from the 2 (both offered the same quote) and they were happy with that.

Looking at my agreement there is no taxi company mentioned so as long as I can get an account with them, and as long as the price remains the same I don't think I'll have an issue changing company.

I have the money paid to me, then I pay the taxi company. You can however have the money paid direct to the taxi company and then you pay any difference to the taxi company yourself.

GlasweJen

Sorry i just saw this when Dori2o bumped it.

I also had to get 3 quotes and could only get 1. A2W then tried to get quotes from further away companies and managed to get one 50p cheaper per return so I called that company and asked if they'd guarantee a female driver - they didn't have any.

So I phoned A2W and they said wanting a female driver wasn't a reason to go with the more expensive taxi company so I emailed Cardiff where most of the claims are administered and explained that if they didn't guarantee me a female driver I would need a female escort as I black out and completely lose consciousness - Cardiff said 50p is better than paying an escort so I got my local company.

It's a historic claim so the company gets paid direct and I give the driver my contribution (£122 per month - price of a rail card).

I'm currently being reviewed and they've taken 6 weeks so far to review me even though nothing has changed!

dori2o

GlasweJen wrote: »

Sorry i just saw this when Dori2o bumped it.

I also had to get 3 quotes and could only get 1. A2W then tried to get quotes from further away companies and managed to get one 50p cheaper per return so I called that company and asked if they'd guarantee a female driver - they didn't have any.

So I phoned A2W and they said wanting a female driver wasn't a reason to go with the more expensive taxi company so I emailed Cardiff where most of the claims are administered and explained that if they didn't guarantee me a female driver I would need a female escort as I black out and completely lose consciousness - Cardiff said 50p is better than paying an escort so I got my local company.

It's a historic claim so the company gets paid direct and I give the driver my contribution (£122 per month - price of a rail card).

I'm currently being reviewed and they've taken 6 weeks so far to review me even though nothing has changed!

I agree, they are slow.

I got a quite nasty letter just after I had my first payment accusing me of attempting to have monies paid twice for the same period.

I put in my claim form and invoice and 4 weeks later I'd heard nothing so I called them up. They said they didn't have the claim form and told me to send in another, so I did. 5 days later I had the money in my account from the original form. Then I got the letter which said they believed I may have been trying to claim double amounts.

A swift phone call sorted it out but that all came about because of their incompetence.

I'm seriously considering getting a credit card to make the payments to the taxi co, maybe a cash back/rewards one. At least then I can pay as soon as the invoice is sent.

quidsinquentin

Access to work - could someone explain what that is please? Curious.

dori2o

https://www.gov.uk/access-to-work

It's a scheme that offers help, including financial, to help people back to work/remain in work/start their own business to people with disability/illness/mental health conditions.

this can be by:

• making adaptations to the equipment you use
• special equipment
• fares to work if you can’t use public transport
• a support worker or job coach to help you in your workplace
• a support service if you have a mental health condition and you’re absent from work or finding it difficult to work
• disability awareness training for your colleagues
• a communicator at a job interview
• the cost of moving your equipment if you change location or job

It is seperate to all other benefits, therefore it does not affect your other benefits nor does any of the help provided have to be repaid.

I myself get help travelling to and from work in the form of paid taxi fares, as my condition is such that I struggle to drive to work without having to stop, plus I take very strong opioid medications whcih have various side effects, and due to the fact I can barely walk and as standing is a big problem I am unable to use public transport without it causing me severe pain.

Access to work pays the difference between what it costs me to travel to work on public transport and the total cost of a taxi from my house to work/work to my house.

GlasweJen

They lost 3 of my invoices all in a row and then I got a snooty letter telling me to submit on time! Can't win with them.

Access to work installed a wheelchair ramp, accessible toilet, power doors, air conditioning unit, special desk and special chair so that I could remain in work after a heart transplant when I was also in a wheelchair. They also pay for me to travel to work by taxi because public transport isn't accessible in my area.