Your Access to Work assessment: how to prepare and what to expect
How to prepare for your Access to Work assessment
So you’ve applied for Access to Work, you’ve waited months (probably more than a year), and now you’ve finally got an assessment booked in. The assessment is the most important stage of the whole process, because it’s where you can advocate for the content of your grant, and how well you prepare for it directly affects what you may walk away with.
The problem is, nobody tells you this. Most people go into their assessment expecting a straightforward conversation and not realising that what they say (and how they say it) in that call will determine how many hours of support, what equipment, and what kind of help can end up in their grant. And if you don’t prepare properly, you can end up with a lot less than you need.
This post explains what the assessment is, how to prepare for it, and what to watch out for so you don’t leave anything on the table.
Key takeaways
The assessment is a conversation with an external assessor (not your ATW case manager) about what support you need at work.
It’s not a test and it’s not about proving your disability. It’s about explaining what’s difficult for you at work and what would help.
How well you prepare directly affects what can go into your grant. Vague answers get vague support.
Always structure your needs using the formula: work task – difficulty tied to your condition – impact on your work – support that would help.
You can bring someone with you for support, and you should ask the assessor what they’re recommending before the call ends.
The assessor writes a report, but your ATW case manager makes the final decision about what gets funded.
What is an Access to Work assessment?
An Access to Work assessment is a structured conversation, usually by video call, where an external assessor discusses your job, your condition, and the barriers you face at work. The purpose is to identify what practical support would help you do your job, and to write a report to your Access to Work case manager recommending that support. The assessor is not employed by Access to Work itself. They work for a separate assessment company that ATW refers you to, and once they’ve written their report, their involvement ends. The final decision about what’s included in your grant will always sit with your ATW case manager, not the assessor.
What happens before the assessment?
Before your assessment is booked, you’ll have a first call with your case manager. This is important to know about because some case managers will try to finalise your grant on this first call alone, without referring you for a full assessment. If that happens, you could end up with far less support than you’d get through the proper assessment process.
To prevent your case manager from wrapping things up on the first call, always ask for an assessment. They cannot deny you one if you request it. The assessment gives you a structured, longer conversation where you can properly explain your situation, and it creates a written report that your case manager then has to review as part of their decision-making process, which is much harder for them to dismiss than verbal notes from a rushed phone call.
One other thing to be aware of: case managers now communicate by phone and post, not email. If phone calls are difficult for you (which is common for neurodivergent people), you can request a reasonable adjustment to how they communicate with you. Raise this early, ideally on the application form itself.
What actually happens during the assessment?
The assessment itself is usually a video call lasting about an hour. The assessor will ask about your job (what you actually do day to day, not just your job title), your condition, what tasks you find difficult, and what kind of support you think would help.
It’s a conversation, not a test. There are no trick questions, and you’re not being assessed on whether your disability is real. The assessor’s job is to understand your situation and recommend support that addresses the barriers you face. But the quality of those recommendations depends entirely on how clearly you explain your needs, which is why preparation matters so much.
A few practical things to know going in: you can bring someone with you to the assessment (a friend, family member, or professional advocate) for support. You should ask the assessor at the end of the call what they’re planning to recommend, so you know what will go in the report before it’s written. And if the assessor suggests something you know wouldn’t work for you, say so and explain why, rather than just accepting it.
If you want to read a first-hand account of what this experience actually feels like, I’ve written a separate post about what happens during an ATW assessment.
How should you prepare?
This is the section that makes the biggest difference. The more clearly you can explain your barriers and connect them to specific support, the stronger your assessment report will be, and the harder it will be for your case manager to cut things from your grant later.
Use the core formula for every need
Everything in your application and assessment comes back to one structure: what work task you struggle with, what difficulty your condition creates, what impact that has on your work, and what support would help. If you can describe each of your needs using this formula, you’re in a strong position.
For example: “As part of my work, I need to write client reports. I find this difficult because my ADHD makes it hard to organise information and maintain my focus for long periods of time. This affects my work because reports miss deadlines and need multiple rounds of revision as a result. A support worker would help because they could work alongside me to structure the report and keep me on track, which software can’t do because the difficulty isn’t in the writing itself but in the executive function required to plan what to do and in what order.”
Be specific about your work
Assessors don’t know your job. You need to make your work visible to someone who has never done it. Avoid jargon and be concrete about what you actually do day to day, how many hours you work, where you work, and what tasks make up your role. “I’m a marketing manager” tells the assessor nothing. “I write reports, manage advertising campaigns, attend client calls, and process analytics data and recommend changes in our approach based on that” gives them an understanding about the types of tasks you do, who you work with, and what’s involved in the tasks.
Explain why cheaper alternatives won’t work
ATW always looks for the most cost-effective solution. If you’re asking for human support (like a support worker), be ready to explain what you’ve already tried (apps, software, coping strategies, adjustments to your work) and why those things didn’t work for you. Being able to say “I tried X, but it didn’t help because of Y and Z reasons” significantly strengthens your case.
Prepare your evidence
If you have diagnostic reports, letters from your GP or specialist, or any other documentation that supports your needs, have it ready. You don’t need a formal diagnosis to apply, but if you have one, it helps.
If you’d like structured guidance on how to prepare for this conversation and how to frame what you say, you’re warmly invited to book an assessment preparation session with me that walks you through exactly this, with a full written checklist at the end to make sure you don’t miss anything on the day.
What kind of support can come out of the assessment?
The types of support your assessor might recommend include:
Support workers to help you with specific work tasks (e.g. managing your inbox, preparing for meetings, staying on top of deadlines)
Coaching, usually provided as a set of 10 to 16 sessions focused on building coping strategies for specific areas (e.g. time management, managing anxiety at work)
Specialist equipment and assistive software (e.g. speech-to-text tools, screen readers, noise-cancelling headphones)
Ergonomic furniture (e.g. height-adjustable desks, adapted chairs)
Transport to and from work, if your condition makes public transport or driving difficult
Mental health support through the Access to Work Mental Health Support Service, which provides up to nine months of one-to-one support
Disability awareness training for your colleagues
It’s worth knowing that ATW sees coaching as a one-off investment (a set number of sessions to equip you with skills), not ongoing support. If you want ongoing, hands-on help with the actual tasks of your job rather than strategies for managing them yourself, a support worker is usually the better fit.
What happens after the assessment?
After the assessment, the assessor writes a report detailing their recommendations and sends it to your case manager. Your case manager then reviews it and makes the final decision about what goes into your grant. Unfortunately, even if the assessor recommended something, the case manager can choose not to include it.
If your case manager cuts something from the assessor’s recommendations, ask them to explain why. ATW guidance encourages case managers to push back on more expensive options (particularly support workers), so being prepared for this and having your arguments ready makes a big difference.
Once your grant is finalised, you’ll receive a grant letter setting out what was approved, how much funding you’ve been awarded, and what you need to do next. For most types of support, you’ll be responsible for arranging and managing it yourself, whether that’s buying equipment, finding a support worker, or booking transport.
If you disagree with the decision, you have 28 days from the date the decision was made to request a reconsideration. This is separate from a formal complaint, which is specifically about ATW failing to follow their own published processes. If you’re not sure which route to take, it’s worth getting advice.
Do you want help preparing for your assessment?
If the assessment feels like a lot to take on, especially when you’re not sure what to ask for or how to frame your needs, I can help. I offer assessment preparation sessions where we work through your specific situation, identify the support that would make the biggest difference, and make sure you know how to explain your needs in a way that helps your chances, not hurt them.
If you’d rather start with something free, the Access to Work Confidence Club covers how to prepare and structure what you say, and you can also download my free guide to the 5 biggest mistakes that will get your ATW grant rejected to make sure you’re not falling into common traps.
And if you need help with the earlier stages, I also offer application support and general ATW consultations.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a diagnosis for the assessment?
No. You don’t need a formal diagnosis. You need to be able to explain what your condition is and how it affects your work. A clear self-disclosure with examples is enough.
Will Access to Work contact my employer?
If you’re employed, yes, but only with your consent. Your employer may be involved in implementing adjustments and may need to agree to cost share for certain types of support (mainly equipment). If you have privacy concerns about your employer knowing the details of your condition, raise this with your case manager.
How long does the assessment take?
Usually about an hour. It’s typically a video call, but a site visit might also be required depending on your job and where you work.
Can I bring someone with me?
Yes. You can bring a friend, family member, colleague, or professional advocate to support you during the assessment. They can help you articulate your needs if you find it difficult to explain things under pressure.
