dyslexiaAccess to Work for dyslexia: the complete guide
The UK Government will fund up to £69,260 a year to support dyslexic employees at work. The employee applies — not the employer. Roughly 9 in 10 eligible dyslexic employees have never applied. This guide explains who qualifies, what is funded, and how to apply.
Access to Work is a DWP grant scheme for disabled employees. Dyslexia qualifies. It funds coaching, assistive software, and workplace needs assessments — up to £69,260/year. You apply at gov.uk/access-to-work. The employer does not need to initiate it. You do not need to have disclosed your dyslexia before applying.
What Access to Work is
Access to Work is a UK Government grant scheme run by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). It funds practical support that helps disabled people start or stay in work — when reasonable adjustments from the employer are not enough on their own.
The scheme has been running since 1994 and is consistently underclaimed. The British Dyslexia Association estimates that roughly 9 in 10 dyslexic employees who would qualify have never applied (BDA, 2024). The most common reason: not knowing the grant exists.
The maximum award is £69,260 per person per year (DWP, from April 2024). Most dyslexic employees who apply receive between £1,000 and £5,000 — enough to cover a workplace needs assessment, assistive software, and a block of dyslexia coaching. The cap exists but very few applications reach it.
Maximum Access to Work award per person per year, from April 2024. Source: DWP / gov.uk/access-to-work.
If you are a dyslexic employee in the UK who has never applied, the maths is straightforward: you are leaving government-funded support unclaimed. The application takes around 30–45 minutes.
Who qualifies
You can apply for Access to Work if you are employed or self-employed, and your dyslexia (or other disability) creates a disadvantage at work that reasonable adjustments from your employer have not fully resolved.
Dyslexia qualifies as a disability for Access to Work purposes if it has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on your ability to carry out day-to-day activities. Most workplace dyslexia meets this threshold. Processing written information slowly, difficulty with spelling and proofreading, re-reading documents to retain information — these are the kinds of effects that Access to Work is designed to address.
You do not need a formal diagnosis to apply. DWP assessors can take a self-declaration. That said, having a diagnostic assessment or a letter from a specialist (GP, occupational health, or psychologist) simplifies the process and tends to produce a better-evidenced support package. If you are considering getting assessed, the dyslexia assessment cost guide covers what UK assessments cost and how to find an accredited assessor.
The eligibility checklist
- You are currently employed (including zero-hours, part-time, or agency work) or self-employed
- You have a disability or health condition — including dyslexia — that affects your ability to do your job
- You are over 16 and live and work in Great Britain (Northern Ireland has a separate scheme)
- You are not in your first six weeks of a job (there are exceptions for Access to Work mental health support)
If you tick those boxes, apply. You do not need to decide whether your dyslexia is "bad enough." That is DWP's assessment to make, not yours.
What Access to Work funds for dyslexia
Access to Work can fund any support that is not already covered by your employer's reasonable adjustments duty. For dyslexic employees, the most commonly funded items are:
| Support type | Examples | Typical cost |
|---|---|---|
| Workplace needs assessment | An assessor visits or video-calls to observe your work tasks and recommend support | £300–£600 |
| Assistive software | Text-to-speech (Read&Write, Speechify), voice recognition (Dragon), mind-mapping tools, PDF readers | £150–£700/year |
| Dyslexia coaching | One-to-one sessions with a specialist to develop workplace-specific strategies | £60–£120/session |
| Specialist equipment | Coloured screen overlays, ergonomic keyboards, second monitor for reading aids | £50–£400 |
| Support worker hours | A reader/scribe for specific tasks (less common for dyslexia, but available) | Hourly rate |
Access to Work does not fund adjustments that are the employer's reasonable duty under the Equality Act 2010. If your employer could reasonably provide extra time for written tasks at no cost, that is not Access to Work territory — but it is still a legal right. The reasonable adjustments builder can help you draft a request to your employer for those adjustments.
The most useful starting point for most dyslexic employees is the workplace needs assessment. An assessor who specialises in dyslexia will identify what software and coaching would actually help you, rather than you having to specify it yourself.
How to apply: step by step
The application is at gov.uk/access-to-work/apply. You will need your National Insurance number, your employer's name and address, and a description of how your dyslexia affects your work. Allow 30–45 minutes.
- Check you are eligible. Use the checklist above. If you are employed or self-employed and dyslexia affects your work, you almost certainly qualify.
- Gather supporting evidence. A diagnostic assessment report, a letter from your GP, or an occupational health report all help. A self-declaration is accepted but supported applications tend to result in a fuller package.
- Apply online or by phone. The online form at gov.uk is the fastest route. The helpline is 0800 121 7479 (Monday–Friday, 9am–5pm) if you prefer to speak to someone or if reading and completing the form is itself a barrier.
- DWP contacts you to discuss your needs. An Access to Work adviser will call to discuss your job and the barriers you face. Be specific: "I re-read every email three to five times before sending because I miss errors" is more useful than "I have difficulty with reading."
- Workplace needs assessment (if recommended). DWP may refer you to an approved assessor who specialises in neurodiversity at work. They produce a report recommending specific support. This is funded by Access to Work, not by you.
- Grant decision letter. DWP sends a decision letter confirming what is funded. Your employer then purchases the approved equipment or books the approved coaching, and Access to Work reimburses them (or, for self-employed applicants, reimburses you directly).
- Review every two to three years. Access to Work grants are reviewed periodically. If your role or needs change, you can request a reassessment.
Disclosure: do you need to tell your employer?
You can apply for Access to Work without having disclosed your dyslexia to your employer. The DWP will not contact your employer without your permission during the application stage.
In practice, if your grant is approved and involves your employer purchasing software or arranging coaching, some degree of disclosure becomes unavoidable. The DWP will need to contact your employer to administer the payment. If you are weighing up when and how to disclose, the disclosure decision guide walks through your specific situation.
For most dyslexic employees, the question is not whether to disclose but how and when. Access to Work gives you a concrete, practical reason to disclose — "I am applying for a grant that funds software to help me with X" — which tends to go down better than a general disclosure with no immediate ask.
Self-employed applicants
Self-employed dyslexic people can apply for Access to Work on the same basis as employees. The key differences are that you claim reimbursement directly rather than through an employer, and you will need to show that your business is generating income (or that you are actively working to grow it).
Freelancers, contractors working outside IR35, and sole traders all qualify. If you are a director of your own limited company and pay yourself a salary, you qualify as an employee of your own company.
What to expect from the process
DWP targets a decision within 12 weeks, though this varies. Applications backed by an assessment report tend to move faster than unsupported applications. If your application is urgent — for example, you are about to start a new role and need software from day one — call the helpline and explain the situation. Expedited processing is available in some cases.
The DWP adviser who calls you is not a dyslexia specialist. They follow a structured assessment process. It is worth preparing specific examples of how dyslexia affects your work before the call — not a general description, but concrete tasks: proofreading documents, reading long reports, taking notes in meetings, writing emails under time pressure.
If you are refused
If Access to Work turns down your application, you have the right to ask for a mandatory reconsideration. If the reconsideration is also unsuccessful, you can appeal to an independent tribunal. The BDA can provide guidance on challenging a refusal: bdadyslexia.org.uk.
A refusal does not affect your employer's separate duty under the Equality Act 2010 to make reasonable adjustments. Access to Work and the Equality Act operate independently. If your employer is failing to make adjustments that are within their power and at low cost, that is a separate matter — and ACAS or an employment solicitor can advise on it.
Most refusals happen because applications are underdocumented. If you are refused, gather evidence — your diagnostic report, your GP's letter, an occupational health referral — before requesting a reconsideration.
Estimate your entitlement
Before you apply, it helps to have a sense of what support you might request. The Access to Work calculator takes your job type and the barriers you face, and estimates the support package and approximate value that DWP is likely to approve. It takes about three minutes.
This is information, not legal advice. For live disputes about your employer's duty to make reasonable adjustments, contact ACAS or an employment solicitor. For Access to Work queries: 0800 121 7479.