StopChanges2AtW have found that AtW are closing the cases of some Deaf and disabled people whilst they are furloughed. (Furloughed means off work because of Coronavirus, and being paid through the government scheme). They will then have to reapply for ATW when they return to work.

Click here to read more about this in English and BSL (takes you to StopChanges2AtW website).

Click here to see the information in BSL. (This information in BSL was shared by AtW a week after the English information was shared.  This is an improvement).

What are the extra changes?
 
(1)  If you are working from home, and need extra or different support, e.g. remote interpreting, you can ask AtW for this.
 
(2)  If you have health problems that mean you can’t safely use public transport for work at the moment, you can ask AtW for help with transport, e.g. taxis.
 
(3)  If you are anxious about going back to work, and need some support, you can ask AtW for some mental health support. You can get support for up to nine months.  (DeafATW asked AtW, and AtW said that you can get support in BSL with an interpreter).
 
(4)  If you had a letter saying that you are “extremely clinically vulnerable” then AtW will sort out your funding more quickly.
 
Click here to read AtW’s information about these changes in English. 

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).

Because AtW have fewer staff, they are trying to do the most urgent things more quickly.

If you have an AtW application in for a new job starting in 4 weeks or less, AtW will try to do this as as a priority.

This information has been checked with AtW.

AtW publishes the guidance that AtW Advisers use when they make decisions about your support.  

Click here to see the latest guidance.

It is a long document, but if you download the PDF you can search for things that are relevant to you.  

Several deaf people, interpreters and agencies have contacted me about arrangements for AtW, especially about signing claim forms and working remotely, because of government advice about working remotely and self isolating because of COVID-19.

I've asked AtW these questions, and will post answers as soon as I have any.

​If you have any questions for AtW about Coronavirus then post them in the comments below this post.

If you want to see information about Coronavirus in BSL, SignHealth have regular updates.

If you are worried that you may have Coronavirus and don't know what to do, you can contact 111 in BSL through InterpreterNOW.  

You can now make a new AtW Application, or apply for for your AtW Renewal online.  

https://www.gov.uk/access-to-work/apply

https://www.gov.uk/access-to-work/renew

You can do this online in English, or scroll down the Communication Support for Interview page until you see "British Sign Language (BSL) video relay service".  (See screenshot below)

If you use the video relay service (in ATW working hours) you will be connected through a BSL interpreter to an ATW adviser, who will complete the online application with you.  

If you have any problems, email SignVideo at help@signvideo.co.uk

If you haven’t used this before, then first watch this video that explain how to use the service (in BSL and English).  It may look complicated, but isn't really.

Click here to watch the video on YouTube.

DeafATW recommends that at the end of your call with AtW, you ask the AtW call centre or AtW Adviser to send you an email summarising what has been discussed and agreed.  

You should also keep notes of the what was said and agreed on the call.  This is in case later the AtW Adviser says something different has been agreed.

7th August 2019

You can now apply for Communication Support for Interviews (CSI) online.  You can do this online in English, or scroll down the Communication Support for Interview page until you see "British Sign Language (BSL) video relay service".  (See screenshot below)

If you use the video relay service (in ATW working hours) you will be connected through a BSL interpreter to an ATW adviser, who will complete the online application with you.  You can also now fill in the claim form in BSL the same way, through an interpreter.

Go to the DeafATW for interviews page for full information about applying for CSI, including:

• What you need to do, and what information you need to have ready so that you can apply.
• What happens, and what you need to do, after you apply.

Or click here to download all the information, including screenshots of the online application process.

24th October 2018

​Deaf people have told DeafATW that when they have a Workplace Assessment the assessor has said that they can only make recommendations about equipment, and not about communication support. This is frustrating, as deaf BSL users often only need communication support (face to face and/or remote), and deaf English users may need equipment, but often also need communication support (such as remote speech to text).

But the DWP has said that this is not right, Workplace Assessors can make recommendations about communication support as well as equipment.

However Workplace Assessors can only recommend the number of hours support needed if the AtW Adviser has asked them to do this.  

If the Workplace Assessor does recommend a number of hours, it is only a recommendation, and the AtW Adviser may award more, the same, or less hours, depending on their overall assessment of needs.

If you have a Workplace Assessment, and the Assessor tells you either that they can only recommend  equipment, or that they can’t recommend communication support, please let DeafATW know, and we can tell AtW.  ​