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Access to Work (Northern Ireland)

Department for Communities (Northern Ireland)

Description

Northern Ireland's own workplace support scheme for disabled people and those with a long-term health condition, run separately from the Great Britain Access to Work scheme but with broadly similar aims and support types.

Amount

Funding for workplace adjustments, equipment, support workers, and travel costs, approved for up to 3 years at a time — no published per-person cap found (confirmed via nidirect, August 2026)

Deadline

Rolling / no fixed deadline

Eligibility summary

  • Available in: Northern Ireland.
  • Open to individuals — not restricted to businesses.
Notes
A genuinely separate scheme from Great Britain's Access to Work, not a branch office of it — administered under Northern Ireland's own social security legislation. Confirmed live via nidirect (node/5245, August 2026): support is 'approved for as long as it is needed up to a maximum of three years'. No published per-person funding cap was found (unlike GB's £69,260 figure) — the page describes coverage of communication support, equipment, workplace adaptations, travel costs and disability awareness training without a headline cash limit.
Requirement
Aged 16+, have a disability or health condition affecting your ability to work, and are in paid employment (16+ hours/week), self-employed, or about to start/return to work in Northern Ireland.

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How to apply

Apply by emailing the Department for Communities (HealthandWorkSupportCo-ordination@communities-ni.gov.uk) or contacting a work coach at your local Jobs and Benefits Office; the application must be made by the disabled person themselves.

View official source

Last verified: 19 August 2026. See the footer disclaimer — this is general information, not financial or tax advice.