September 3rd 2024.
Philippa has a rare neurological condition that affects her hands, arms, legs, and feet. As a result, she faces various physical challenges in her daily life. Recently, Philippa applied for an Access to Work grant, a government scheme designed to help disabled individuals cover the extra costs associated with working. After submitting her application, she received an automated email stating that she would hear back within 12 weeks. However, it has been almost 30 weeks since then, and Philippa is still waiting for a response.
For Philippa, this grant would make a significant difference in her ability to work. Due to her condition, she often struggles with typing and needs a headset to dictate instead. This would greatly improve her efficiency and reduce the pain she experiences. However, she was surprised to learn that it could take up to three months to hear back about her application. Despite the long wait, Philippa had no choice but to be patient and hope for the best.
This was not the first time Philippa had applied for an Access to Work grant. In 2012, she became a self-employed writer and needed specialized equipment to make her workspace more accessible. The application process was quick and easy, and she was able to purchase the recommended tools with the grant's help. However, this time around, the process has been much more challenging and time-consuming.
Philippa's condition is progressive, and there are days when her fingers simply do not cooperate. This makes typing incredibly painful and frustrating. She relies on her typing skills to keep up with her work, and a headset would greatly improve the accuracy of her speech recognition tools. However, she was unsure which headset would be best for her needs and relied on the recommendations provided by the Access to Work scheme.
Despite the relatively small cost of a headset, it was still a significant expense for Philippa as a journalist. She assumed the process would be just as simple as it was in 2012, but unfortunately, that was not the case. She waited and waited, and finally, after six months, she decided to call the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to inquire about her application's status. To her dismay, she was informed that they were still processing applications from January and that hers would not even be looked at until mid-August.
Philippa was not the only one facing these delays; she connected with others on social media who had also been let down by the Access to Work scheme. In response to her post, she received 125 likes, 74 retweets, and numerous replies from individuals sharing similar experiences. When she reached out to the DWP for a response, she was given data showing that the average decision time for an Access to Work application was 43.9 days. However, this data was unverified and should be approached with caution, especially since Philippa has been waiting for over 200 days.
As a disabled person, Philippa is no stranger to facing challenges and overcoming them with her resourcefulness. However, there are times when she needs additional support, and that's where the Access to Work grant comes in. This fund is supposed to help disabled individuals like Philippa work without burdening themselves or their employers with extra expenses. Unfortunately, the system has failed to deliver on this promise, leaving many disabled individuals struggling to find and maintain employment.
The government has been vocal about wanting to increase the number of disabled individuals in the workforce. Still, the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Liz Kendall, recently launched a "blueprint for fundamental reform" without even mentioning the Access to Work scheme. How can disabled individuals be expected to find and keep jobs when it takes six months for the grant to be processed? This long wait time also puts pressure on employers, who may not be willing to wait for the grant to come through before hiring someone.
Philippa is frustrated and tired, like many other disabled individuals in modern Britain. Not only do they face daily challenges, but they also have to deal with societal stigma and a hostile system. She wonders how this can be allowed to continue and why the government is not prioritizing this issue. Despite reaching out to Liz Kendall, Philippa has yet to receive a response. It seems that disabled individuals are constantly fighting for their rights and facing barriers, making it difficult for them to succeed in the workforce. It's a never-ending battle, and Philippa is unsure if they will ever come out on top.
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