Access To Work online claims portal explained

Introducing Access To Work

We understand some of the additional costs disabled people can face in the workplace in order to have equal access to be able to carry out their roles alongside non-disabled people. Access To Work is a scheme that the Department For Work And Pensions (DWP) run. It provides financial and practical support to disabled people who are in, or about to start, work. Whether you’re employed, self-employed, or in another form of paid work such as an apprenticeship or internship, Access To Work is there to assist you with any additional support you may need.

The support Access To Work can fund includes:

• Specialist software, including screen readers such as JAWS, magnification software such as ZoomText, and dictation software such as Dragon Professional. Access To Work can also fund training if using the software is new to you, or you just want some additional guidance.
• Specialist aids and equipment, for example refreshable braille displays, electronic magnifiers, and accessories such as headsets and easy-to-see keyboards
• Travelling to and from work, if there are no practical public transport alternatives
• Employment of a support worker

After you’ve applied for Access To Work and Access To Work has agreed the support, you claim money back. Access To Work works on a reimbursement basis. For instance, if you claim travel costs, you’ll need to have made the journeys before you claim the money back. You also need proof such as a receipt or invoice.

This blog will discuss making a claim, focusing on the online claims portal. This portal makes claiming money from your Access To Work grant efficient, and most importantly, accessible and inclusive.

Before the online claims portal

Before the online claims portal went live, the main way to make Access To Work claims was by post. During the Covid-19 pandemic, there was the possibility of sending claim forms via email. However, this wasn’t easy to access. Access To Work advisors lacked awareness of email as a reasonable adjustment. Also, email was only available in exceptional circumstances, for example if you or someone else could not post the form.

Claiming by post was not always accessible. Claim forms weren’t always compatible with assistive tech like screen readers. You have to provide a wet signature on every form. You also have to ensure that you had all the correct paperwork and the address written correctly.

When I first started claiming travel costs, I wanted to do it as independently as possible, so I did as much electronically as I could. I was sent the first claim form as a PDF, however I couldn’t fill it out using a screen reader. As a result, I requested it in a Word document. Luckily, Access To Work was willing to do this, so I could at least fill in the form independently. The form was then updated. Access To Work sent the new form which was a PDF. This time, I was able to fill in the PDF independently thanks to it being correctly formatted.
Despite managing to fill in the forms independently, I still had to ensure that it was printed off, I had signed it in the correct place and prepared it for postage, along with the relevant evidence. All of this I had to do with sighted assistance, to ensure it was done correctly.

Alice, Henshaws Digital Communications Officer and Access To Work user

Introducing the online claims portal

The online claims portal is a more convenient and accessible way to make claims and keep track of your Access To Work support. As the name suggests, the portal allows you to make claims online. You can also check what your Access To Work support covers, and how much funding you have to spend on that support.

The online system has been designed to be user-friendly and efficient. What’s more, you don’t have to request it as a reasonable adjustment. However, if posting the form is your preference or you aren’t able to claim online, posting is still an option.

The remainder of this blog will discuss the online claims portal. We’ll cover how to gain access to it, how it works, and finally, our verdict.

How do I access the online claims portal?

As of the end of 2025, you access the online claims portal using GOV.UK One Login. This allows you to access multiple government services, not just Access To Work.

If using a GOV.UK One login for the first time, you will need to prove your identity. You will have to do this even if you’ve logged into the Access To Work portal using the original method.

You can go straight to the Access To Work online portal from the following page:

Select the Claim Online button, which will take you to the Gov.UK One Login page. From there, you can either sign in, or create an account.

Creating a GOV.UK One Login

Creating an account is pretty straightforward. You’ll need to provide your email address, and create a password. You’ll receive a security code which you need to enter to confirm you’ve entered your email address correctly.

You’ll then need to set up a two-factor authentication method. This is so you can confirm it’s you every time you sign in. One way to do this is to enter your mobile phone number, and enter the six-digit code you receive by text. Subsequently, every time you sign in, you’ll receive a text message with a six-digit code which you’ll need to enter to complete the sign-in process.

If you signed up for the Access To Work portal using the original method, the process for signing up for GOV.UK One Login is similar to that.

Once you’ve created your account, you can then prove your identity.

If you already use GOV.UK One Login to access other services and have proven your identity, you can use that same account and proof of identity for Access To Work. Once you prove your identity on GOV.UK One Login, this applies to all services that require proof of identity.

Proving your identity

There are various ways you can prove your identity. You can use Photo ID which involves submitting your photo ID, and taking a photo of yourself to make sure they match. You can either use the GOV.UK One Login app, or visit a post office that provides the in-branch verification service.

Alternatively, if you can’t use photo ID, or don’t have eligible Photo ID, you can answer security questions about your finances after providing your bank account details and National Insurance Number.

Whichever method you choose, the GOV.UK One Login service will guide you through the process. You can find out more about proving your identity, including photo ID you can use, at the following page:

Find out more about proving your identity

Accessibility issues for blind people

There has been a lot of discussion around the identity verification process in the VI community in regards to its accessibility.

When it comes to the photo ID method, many people have found it challenging due to the visual nature of the process. If using your passport, part of the scanning process involves scanning its photo page. While the app automatically takes the photo once you have it in frame, positioning your phone and passport correctly can be a challenge.

Following scanning your passport, you then have to use the app to take a picture of yourself, so it can check the picture of your face you take within the app matches the one on your passport. Many people have reported issues including failing the face match due to having an eye condition that causes eye movements meaning they can’t take a matching picture, having an eye condition that means they can’t open their eyes which causes the process to not work correctly, and ensuring they’re in correct lighting to take the best photo.

The Photo ID method is rather restrictive. If you’re a British national, the only forms of photo ID you can use are a passport or photocard driving licence. As blind people can’t obtain a driving licence, this leaves them with no option but to use a passport. This means that blind people don’t have a choice in regards to the form of photo ID they use.

When it comes to the security questions method, some people have reported that they can’t prove their identity by answering security questions. After entering their bank account details and National Insurance Number and proceeding to answer the security questions, they are unable to prove their identity using this method. Others have reported answering the questions but failing the process so having to re-attempt this.

If you fail the identity verification process three times, whichever method you choose, you’re completely locked out of the process. This means you have to entirely delete your GOV.UK One Login and create a new account from scratch in order to access the process again.

If you need to delete your GOV.UK One login, the best way to do this is to log in via the main GOV.UK One login sign in page, rather than the Access To Work page. You can then use the same email address that you used to create the account you deleted, to create your new account.

As a result of the issues explained above, in order to prove their identity, many people have reported needing sighted assistance, or having no option but to prove their identity at the post office.

Currently, there’s no fully accessible method, making the process more cumbersome for blind people. As a result of not being able to prove their identity, some people are now having to claim by post. This is despite using the online portal prior to the implementation of GOV.UK One Login.

We appreciate that the inaccessibility of the process is far from ideal. We hope that by explaining some of the barriers blind people have faced, it prepares you for what to expect when you come to prove your identity.

Making a claim

To make a claim, you’ll need to fill out the online claim form. If you are entitled to multiple types of support, for example travel costs and equipment costs, you’ll be able to fill in the relevant form when you select what you want to claim for.

The form will specify exactly what information you need to include. You will also need to upload relevant receipts or invoices. Receipts or invoices can either be a digital document,, or a clear scan or photograph of a printed document. You can either upload one document, or multiple documents, depending on how you organise your receipts or invoices.

If you’re employed (and not self-employed), you’ll need to provide the name and email address of a workplace contact who can approve your claim. Your workplace contact will receive an email and a link to approve your claim. Your workplace contact does not need to create an account in order to approve claims.

The type of support you’re claiming for will determine what follow-up information you receive. For example, if you make a claim for travel to work, you’ll receive an email containing a reference number. You’ll also receive further emails when your workplace contact approves your claim, and when the DWP processes the payment. If claiming for specialist equipment, you won’t receive this information. Instead, you manually have to check if the DWP has processed the payment.

Our verdict

It’s great to see Access To Work making their processes more accessible. The scheme is for disabled people so accessibility should be a priority.

However, we’re disappointed in the inaccessibility of proving your identity on GOV.UK One Login. We understand the importance of proving your identity. However, it’s clear that the methods currently available pose challenges for people with sight loss. We’ll keep this updated when we hear of any developments that make the process more accessible.

RNIB launched the Access To Work Delays campaign. This highlights the barriers that people with sight loss face when applying for, and using, Access To Work. While the campaign primarily focuses on Access To Work delays (the length of time it is taking for applications to be processed), the report also highlights the inaccessibility of claim forms, and how the online claims portal should make it more accessible and efficient for people with sight loss (RNIB published the report before the online claims portal went live).

At Henshaws, we’re all about enabling our service users to lead independent lives. We believe that this new Access To Work online claims portal will enable people with sight loss to claim money back more independently.

Access To Work is a lifeline for many visually impaired people in employment. This online portal has made Access To Work’s processes more seamless, intuitive, and most importantly, more accessible and inclusive.

Alice’s comment

I’m so relieved that Access To Work introduced an online claims portal. I claim for travel costs monthly. Claiming using the postal form was very time-consuming. I also wasn’t able to complete the process from start to finish without sighted assistance.
The online claims portal means I can be much more independent. The taxi company send me receipts via email. The only sighted assistance I receive is to screenshot the emails. I use the visual interpreting service Aira to receive this. I’m able to fill out the form and submit it completely independently.

For claiming travel costs, I also appreciate that you receive an email as soon as you submit your claim, so you have confirmation that Access To Work has received it, and there is a reference number for if you to need to follow up a claim.
Previously, when you sent forms by post, you would receive no confirmation that it had been received, so you only knew for definite once you received the payment. You could obtain the tracking number from Royal Mail. However, this was always on a piece of paper, and it wasn’t tied specifically to your Access To Work form.

Being able to make claims online reduces physical paperwork, allows you to submit claims more securely, and makes it easier to keep track of the claims you submit.

Alice