AtW have updated their factsheet for customers to include changes they're making to AtW because of COVID-19. www.gov.uk/government/publications/access-to-work-factsheet
These changes are mostly the same as the changes that DeafATW has shared in earlier updates. Please read these updates because I only explain new information in this update.
There are four things useful to say about the update:
1) In the Factsheet there is a section with the heading "If your support needs change". It then says "If the support you need changes, for example because you have started to work from home, you need to tell Access to Work."
This means that you only need to tell AtW you are working at home if your support needs have changed. If your support needs are the same, you don't have to tell AtW.
2) In the Factsheet there is a section with the heading "Assessments". This says that if you apply for AtW and know what support you need, you don't need a workplace assessment.
If you don't know what support you need, an organisation (not AtW) will do the assessment over the phone. Let that organisation know if you need the assessment done in BSL, e.g. through a video interpreting service.
3) In the Factsheet there is a section with the heading "Interpreters". It then says "You need to tell Access to Work if you change the type of support you are using. For example, if you start using an online interpreting service instead of a BSL support worker."
This advice looks different from the information that DeafATW shared in an update before. In this factsheet it seems to say that you should tell AtW if you change to use a remote interpreter instead of a face to face one. DeafATW has checked with ATW, and this means that if you stop using face-to-face interpreters and switch to a remote interpreting service and plan to carry on doing this in the future, then you should tell AtW. But if you are just using a remote interpreter because of Coronavirus, and will carry on using face-to-face interpreters in the future, then you don't need to tell AtW.
4) In the Factsheet there is a section with the heading "Claiming for costs". It then says "If you cannot leave home or ask someone else to post your claim for costs, contact your Access to Work adviser and ask if you can send your claim by email. They will tell you what you need to do. You can also send the email from your employer or your support worker by email."
This means that if you can't post your claim form you should contact your AtW adviser and ask them how you can email your claim form to AtW.
This information has been checked with AtW.
This information has been updated to say that the advice in the earlier AtW update is still correct after the updated customer factsheet was published. (For number 3 above).
These changes are mostly the same as the changes that DeafATW has shared in earlier updates. Please read these updates because I only explain new information in this update.
There are four things useful to say about the update:
1) In the Factsheet there is a section with the heading "If your support needs change". It then says "If the support you need changes, for example because you have started to work from home, you need to tell Access to Work."
This means that you only need to tell AtW you are working at home if your support needs have changed. If your support needs are the same, you don't have to tell AtW.
2) In the Factsheet there is a section with the heading "Assessments". This says that if you apply for AtW and know what support you need, you don't need a workplace assessment.
If you don't know what support you need, an organisation (not AtW) will do the assessment over the phone. Let that organisation know if you need the assessment done in BSL, e.g. through a video interpreting service.
3) In the Factsheet there is a section with the heading "Interpreters". It then says "You need to tell Access to Work if you change the type of support you are using. For example, if you start using an online interpreting service instead of a BSL support worker."
This advice looks different from the information that DeafATW shared in an update before. In this factsheet it seems to say that you should tell AtW if you change to use a remote interpreter instead of a face to face one. DeafATW has checked with ATW, and this means that if you stop using face-to-face interpreters and switch to a remote interpreting service and plan to carry on doing this in the future, then you should tell AtW. But if you are just using a remote interpreter because of Coronavirus, and will carry on using face-to-face interpreters in the future, then you don't need to tell AtW.
4) In the Factsheet there is a section with the heading "Claiming for costs". It then says "If you cannot leave home or ask someone else to post your claim for costs, contact your Access to Work adviser and ask if you can send your claim by email. They will tell you what you need to do. You can also send the email from your employer or your support worker by email."
This means that if you can't post your claim form you should contact your AtW adviser and ask them how you can email your claim form to AtW.
This information has been checked with AtW.
This information has been updated to say that the advice in the earlier AtW update is still correct after the updated customer factsheet was published. (For number 3 above).