Access to Work Programme: Standards
Lords · Question HL89 · Tabled 14 May 2026 · Department for Work and Pensions · Official record
Answered 3 Jun 2026
Question
Asked by Lord Blunkett
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to introduce formal service standards for Access to Work, including maximum waiting times for decisions and a fast track for cases in which an individual's job is at risk.
Answer
Answered by Baroness Sherlock, 3 Jun 2026
The current productivity standard for Access to Work (AtW) caseworkers is based on a 2021 work study and is now recognised as outdated and unrealistic within today’s operational environment (sections 3.9-3.13 of the National Audit Office report). Since 20...