Does anyone know anything about the Access to Work scheme?

[AlexanderHamilton]

Dh has been advised to apply for it. Apparently he may be able to get taxis or a driver to take him to work. He's been off sick for 6 months and has been cleared by Occ Health to return on a phased return but actually getting there is going to be really difficult as he has lost his driving licence.

It sort of sounds too good to be true? Its a pretty long commute.

Get in touch with them and ask. I've known them to do it. They don't often but it's not impossible.

Thanks so much for that info. Dh has been seeing a specialist consultant privately as the first available NHS appointment isn’t until mid Jan. Because his symptoms could have been a number of things they had to investigate the most serious first so by the time they were eliminated it was September (he was first taken I’ll in June) & the community ENT clinic wasn’t really set up to diagnose him. They said it might be one of several things and it would probably get worse & discharged him!!!

I used AtW for help with transport when I lost my licence after removal of a brain tumour.

They paid my taxi fare of £60 a day but I had to get my GP to write a letter saying I wasn’t physically capable of doing the journey by public transport, it could be done but only if I set off before I went to bed so GP happy to say no.

My taxi bill was £250 a week and I had to pay the standard mileage cost.

They funded it for a year and happily I got my licence back, I’m not sure if they would have funded it long term.

I found then to be very helpful, the person affected needs to self-refer and they are really strict on confidentiality.

A colleague of mine was awarded taxi travel to/from work via access to work - about £25 each way journey. Whilst work have had to pay a contribution towards some other AtW support measures, they don't have to contribute to the taxi fares. Is definitely worth contacting them.

they might consider a support worker to help him travel rather than actual taxis, or they might refuse to help with travel altogether, instead saying to his employer to enable him to work from home or move him to an office that is closer to home or easier to commute to.

In terms of the actual travel, he would be expected to explore all options himself, including alternative routes and earlier travel times. He can also apply for a disabled rail card and be entitled to free bus travel - so A2W wouldn't pay for taxis if he can get discounted/free travel already.

Hi sunshine - from what I can see he’s not entitled to disabled rail card as he doesn’t have profound hearing loss & they are quite specific about what disabilities are accepted. He cannot travel on a bus with or without a support worker. It would make him too ill.

It is impossible to do his job from home & he already works at the closest institution to where we live that offers what he does. He used to work a lot further away but chose to take a slight career step back several years ago in order to be closer to home.

I know someone who got taxis funded for depression/anxiety through ATW for a number of years. Worth a try. She didn't drive.

I have a disabled rail card for hearing problems and I assure you that they are not that strict. Give them a call and find out. I think you need a social worker to sign the application form, thereafter you just renew the card yourself each year.

His actual hearing loss is slight and intermittent at the moment though he has tinnitus & diplocusis something or other.

It’s the balance, background noise, dizziness, nausea and perception that cause the problems.

A social worker? Did you have a social worker anyway or do you just contact social services? I’d have thought a Dr/consultant would have been a better person to sign?

All I needed was proof that I wore a hearing aid, I forwarded an email from my audiologist to them. Someone else I know photcopied their NHS hearing aid record and that was it.

He doesn’t wear a hearing Aid at the moment.

I just contacted social work, you don need an actual social worker, they came out, saw I wasn't lying lol, signed the form and left, only took a few minutes. They also recommended some other household adjustments they could provide through the council.