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Access to Work Grant

Find out who is eligible for an Access to Work grant and how to apply for it.

Last updated: 27 November 2023

How Access to Work grant can help musicians at work

An Access to Work grant can pay for practical support if you have an impairment, health or mental health condition. It can help you to:

  • Start working
  • Stay in work
  • Move into self-employment

The grant isn’t for business start-up costs. It’s to help you do things you couldn’t otherwise do because of a condition or impairment.

The grant can pay for things like:

  • Adaptations to the equipment you use
  • Special equipment
  • Taxi fares to work if you can’t use public transport
  • A personal assistant 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

Who is eligible for an Access to Work grant?

To get an Access to Work grant you must:

  • Have an impairment, health condition or mental health condition that affects your ability to work
  • Be 16 years old or over
  • Live in England, Scotland or Wales - there’s a different system in Northern Ireland

What are job requirements?

One of the following must apply:

  • You have a paid job
  • You’re self-employed
  • You have a job interview
  • You’re about to start a job
  • You’re starting work experience

Access to Work grants are not available for voluntary work.

Your impairment or health condition

Your impairment or health condition must either:

  • Affect your ability to do a job
  • Mean you have to pay work-related costs, for example additional computer equipment or travel costs because you can’t use public transport

It must also either:

  • Be likely to last at least a year
  • Have lasted at least a year already

Changing jobs when getting Access to Work grant

Make sure you contact Access to Work if you change jobs. You may be able to:

  • Transfer equipment to a new job
  • Get a different amount of grant

Find more information on gov.uk and apply for Access to Work.

Useful online resources

Discrimination in the music sector based on disability

If you are a musician who is an MU member and are concerned about how you are being treated at work, you can get advice on disability rights from the Musicians' Union.

Contact the MU

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