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Access to Work is changing

But what about us?

Self-employed and disabled?

You deserve a voice in the future of Access to Work

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The UK government is redesigning Access to Work, and right now,

self-employed disabled people are barely mentioned in the consultation.

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If you run your own business or work freelance and you're neurodivergent or disabled — this affects you.

Why this matters

✅ Self-employment is a lifeline for many neurodivergent people.


✅ Traditional jobs often don’t give us the flexibility we need.


✅ We still face extra costs and pressures — support workers, assistive software, coaching, equipment. And we don’t have an employer to help cover the costs.


✅ Currently, Access to Work can help. But even as it is, it doesn’t always work well for people like us.

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Now the government is planning big changes.

But unless we speak up, they may redesign the scheme without including us.

What's happening?

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  • The government is consulting on how Access to Work should change.

 

  • The deadline to respond is 30th June 2025.

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  • They’ve asked a set of questions — but none mention self-employed people directly.

We need to make sure they hear from us.

The people who’ve built businesses while navigating disability. The people who rely on flexible work because the standard workplace doesn't work for us.

What you can do

Respond to the public consultation in at least one of three possible ways:​​

  • Attending an event in-person​

  • Attending a virtual session

  • Submitting an online response

Here are the key consultation questions that matter if you’re self-employed and use (or need) Access to Work:

Q14: What should DWP directly fund for individuals and employers?

Talk about what helps you:

  • Support workers

  • Software

  • Travel costs

  • Coaching

  • Communication support

  • Tech or tools for running your business

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Q15: What should Access to Work look like in future?

Share your experience:

  • What's worked well?

  • What's been difficult or confusing?

  • What support have you needed as a business owner?

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Q17: How should it be delivered in future?

You can talk about:

  • Whether DWP understands self-employment

  • Whether assessors get your role

  • If support is too slow or inconsistent

  • What would make it easier to access help

You don’t need to answer every question. Just one strong answer, from your perspective, can make a difference.

Want to share your story?

If you're self-employed and disabled and want to make sure your experience is heard — I’d love to hear from you.

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I’m collecting stories and examples to feed into the consultation and future work I’m doing to advocate for people like us. I really want to amplify disabled and neurodivergent voices and stories.

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Your story can be as short or as detailed as you like. Everything you share is valuable. I won’t share your story without your express permission.

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