Grants go digital

Disabled people will be able to apply for Access to Work grants online from April this year, the Department for Work and Pensions has announced, in a move broadly welcomed by the disabled community.

Disabled people can apply for Access to Work grants to pay for equipment, travel costs and practical help, such as carers or interpreters, but part of the application system has always remained paper-based.

The decision to go digital was greeted positively by Angela Matthews of the Business Disability Forum, although she warned that it must remain “as accessible as possible” and cater for people without digital skills.