dyslexiaAccess to Work told applicants in June 2026 to expect up to 37 weeks for a first decision (Workplace Journal, June 2026). That wait makes it tempting to buy your own dictation software and get on with your week. If you buy before you apply, the grant will probably never pay you back.
This is a UK article about Access to Work, the government grant for disabled workers. It covers the choice many dyslexic employees face at their desk: self-fund the tool now, or wait for the decision.
The Access to Work wait is real and getting longer
About 66,000 applications were waiting for a decision in March 2026, against 21,700 in March 2022 (Workplace Journal, June 2026). The official target is 25 working days (Workplace Journal, June 2026).
The government expects the backlog to take at least 18 months to clear (Workplace Journal, June 2026). So the wait you hear about today is unlikely to shrink soon.
The longest wait applicants were told to expect, against a 25 working day target (Workplace Journal, June 2026).
Plan as if your decision will take months. That is a reason to act on the right things in the right order, not a reason to buy first.
What Access to Work does with money you already spent
Scope's advice is plain: apply before you incur any costs (Scope, October 2026). Funding only counts from the day you submit your application.
Equipment you buy yourself is repaid only if you are self-employed. The other exception is an employer who agrees to repay you, then claims from Access to Work (Scope, October 2026).
GOV.UK says you or your employer may need to pay some costs up front and claim them back (GOV.UK Access to Work, October 2026). Read that line with care. It covers a claim after approval, not a refund for something you bought in week two.
An employee who buys a tool before applying has probably bought it with their own money, for good. Apply first, even if you are not sure you will wait.
Your employer owes the cost, not you
ACAS says the employer is responsible for paying for any reasonable adjustments. Access to Work is not a substitute for that legal duty (ACAS, October 2026). GOV.UK says the grant does not pay for reasonable adjustments (GOV.UK Access to Work, October 2026).
So a long grant queue does not hand the bill to you. The duty sits with your employer under the Equality Act 2010 (ACAS, October 2026). It applies once they know about your dyslexia.
Starting the conversation is often the hard part. The reasonable adjustments builder turns your challenges into a plan and a draft email. It takes about two minutes.
Our earlier decision piece covers asking your employer to pay first. This one covers what happens when you pay yourself.
Before you reach for your card, send one written request to your employer. It costs you nothing and keeps the bill with the person who owes it.
What self-funding costs, and what you can use for free
Read&Write is a reading and writing toolbar. A workplace licence is listed at £250 plus VAT a year (Microlink PC shop, October 2026). You would pay that up front. The shop showed it out of stock when we checked, so confirm price and stock first.
You do not have to wait with no help. Windows has voice typing built in. Press the Windows key plus H, wait for the listening alert, then talk (Microsoft Support, October 2026). You need an internet connection and a working microphone, and the page lists no account or payment.
Use it to draft emails by voice while you wait. Read the draft back with your device's read-aloud feature before you send it.
A task that feels too big to start is not a motivation problem. It is a missing first step. The task breakdown planner turns any task you type into a short list of first steps, in under a minute.
Use free tools as a bridge while the request and the grant move. Keep paid tools for when your employer has agreed, or refused in writing.
What to do, by situation
Here is the call. Find your row, then act on it today.
| Your situation | What to do |
|---|---|
| You have a written job offer, or started your job under 6 weeks ago | Apply now. Access to Work normally pays the full cost for people in a job under 6 weeks (Scope, October 2026). |
| You are in post and your employer has not been asked | Send a written request first. Apply to Access to Work the same day. |
| Your employer agreed to buy | Let them buy it. They can claim from Access to Work afterwards. |
| Your employer refused | Keep the refusal in writing. Use free tools. Apply anyway. |
| You are self-employed | Apply first. Self-bought equipment is repaid for self-employed people (Scope, October 2026). |
Apply after more than 6 weeks in the role and your employer might need to contribute (Scope, October 2026). That is one more reason to apply early.
Do not self-fund as your first move. Make the written request and the application first, then decide.
When paying yourself is the sensible choice
Paying yourself makes sense in one case. Your employer has refused in writing. The tool is cheap. The problem costs you real hours every week.
Treat that money as spent. Keep the receipt and the refusal email together. They show you asked, and that record matters if you later take the dispute further.
Before you buy, work out what the problem already costs you. The masking cost calculator puts a number on it. Enter your salary and your workarounds, and it shows what that time costs per year. If that is more than the tool costs, the purchase may pay for itself.
Pay yourself only after a written refusal, and only for what you can afford to lose.
What to put in your written request
Keep the email short and specific. Your employer should be able to say yes in one reply.
- Name the tool and what it costs, with a link to the price page.
- Name the task it fixes, such as drafting long emails or checking reports.
- Say what changes at work: faster replies, fewer errors, less rework.
- Mention that you are applying to Access to Work, and ask if they will buy now.
- Ask for a reply by a set date, such as one week from today.
Send it to your manager and copy HR. Save the reply, even if the answer is no.
A dated, specific email is hard to ignore and easy to approve. It also gives you a record if the request stalls.
What to do this week
Start with a short written request to your employer. Name the tool and the barrier it removes. On the same day, start your application.
Our Access to Work guide walks through eligibility and the form. The Access to Work calculator shows roughly what a claim could be worth.
Use Windows voice typing or another free tool for the wait. Save every email and receipt in one folder. If a decision drags on for months, ask your employer in writing whether they will act without it.
Nothing here needs you to disclose anything new. Only the order of your actions changes.
US readers: this grant is a UK scheme. The ADA accommodations guide covers your rights and the process.
Written request first, application second, free tools in the gap, your own money last.
Not sure where to start? The dyslexia assessment cost guide covers UK and US prices in 2026 and what it means once your employer knows. Fill in the short form on that page and we will find you a local assessor and reply within 2 working days.