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Committee publication · Correspondence · 17 June 2026

Correspondence with the Minister for Social Security and Disability, relating to recent changes to Access to Work

From: Work and Pensions Committee

Summary

The Work and Pensions Committee wrote to the Minister for Social Security and Disability on 11 June 2026 requesting detailed information about changes to Access to Work and their impact on waiting times. The Minister responded with an account of staffing increases (29% from 500 to 648 staff), process improvements including triage and change-of-circumstances teams, and plans to recruit 480 additional staff to clear the backlog by September 2027.

Key findings

  • Committee seeks details of all changes made and intended to Access to Work, plus assessment of impact on waiting times
  • Minister reports 29% staff increase (500 to 648 between March 2024 and March 2026) and deployment of additional resource to speed processing
  • Four process improvements implemented: dedicated Triage Team for case preparation; dedicated Change of Circumstances Team for faster resolution; aligned complaint and reconsideration processes; and rollout of Standard Operating Process
  • Government announced plan in May 2026 to clear Access to Work backlog by September 2027 through recruitment of 480 additional case staff
  • Minister indicates longer-term scheme reforms are under development drawing on Green Paper consultation, Collaboration Committees, and Independent Disability Advisory Panel feedback

Tone

Procedural

Topics

disability-employmentaccess-to-workpublic-administrationwaiting-times

Key actors

Debbie Abrahams MP, Sir Stephen Timms MP, Work and Pensions Committee, Department for Work and Pensions, Independent Disability Advisory Panel

Notable line

“… this Government inherited a large backlog of cases with lengthy waits. Over the last year, we have taken a range of actions to address this.”

Key Quotes

“… could you please provide us with a detailed list of all the changes you have made and intend to make, and your assessment so far of the impact these changes are having on waiting times?”
— Debbie Abrahams MP · requesting substantive detail on Access to Work reforms
“… this Government inherited a large backlog of cases with lengthy waits. Over the last year, we have taken a range of actions to address this.”
— Sir Stephen Timms MP · explaining government action on waiting times
“In May, I announced our plans to go even further and clear the backlog of Access to Work cases by September”
— Sir Stephen Timms MP · stating specific target for backlog clearance
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Source · parliament.uk record ↗