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. 

DeafATW was asked to join two groups who work with AtW to help them improve.  

1)  The AtW Stakeholder Forum. This is a group with people from lots of different organisations. They meet with AtW and bring feedback and suggestions from Deaf and disabled people about AtW.

2)  The AtW Easements Working Group. "Easements" is the word AtW uses to mean 'changes". This is group that meets with AtW and looks at the changes AtW makes because of Coronavirus and lockdown.

I shared the DeafATW survey with the AtW Easements Working Group. This meant that the problems that Deaf AtW users had, and their suggestions how things could improve, were shared with AtW.

Because there had been no information in BSL about the changes to AtW for the first few months of Coronavirus, the Easements Group wrote a letter to Justin Tomlinson, Minister for Disabled People, Health and Work, about improving the way that changes to AtW are communicated in BSL and English.

In June DeafATW shared a survey with people on the DeafATW mailing list.  We asked three questions and had 40 responses. We can't share the full responses because they are confidential, but you can read our summary of the main themes, issues and suggestions.  The three questions were:
 
(1)  What changes have AtW made to help with COVID-19 that have been good changes that have helped you?   

(2)  How did you find out about these changes?  How clear was AtW information about these changes?  How can AtW communicate with you better about changes?   

(3)  What else could AtW have done to meet your needs during COVID-19 and lockdown?

Click here to download the summary.

When AtW review your AtW Award and budget they look at how you have used your AtW budget for the past year.

If you are self-employed, this means they also look at your turnover for the last year. 

However, COVID-19 and the lockdown have affected many self-employed people's work and turnover, and AtW know this.  So when self-employed people have their next review, the impact of any COVID-19 related downturn will be ignored.

Similarly, the lockdown has affected many employed people, e.g. working from home, using more remote interpreting, working fewer hours, not working at all (being furloughed). AtW understand this, and you can expect that your AtW Award won't change or be cut just because of the impact of COVID-19.  (It may still need to change for other reasons, e.g. if the way you work has permanently changed).

This information has been checked with AtW.
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If there are any other changes, DeafATW will post them here and share them with the DeafATW mailing list.  At the moment, DeafATW have not been told of any other changes.

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.

If you are off work (furloughed) because of Coronavirus, you can use your award to pay for communication support for "keep in touch" meeting with your manager and employer, e.g. for up to one hour a week.

If you are working at home then you can use your AtW award as usual.

This information has been checked with AtW.

AtW have fewer staff available because many staff have been moved to temporary roles in other parts of the DWP where those teams are busier.

Also, many of their staff are off sick with COVID-19, or are self-isolating.

The number of staff they have available changes every day.  You can imagine this must be a real challenge.

This means that they have a lot less staff available to provide support at the same time that many Deaf and disabled customers need more support, because of changes to their work due to COVID-19.  

This is why they are making some changes to what they do.  

It also means that it is more likely that they may miss emails or phone calls from you.  So it is really important, when possible for you, that you:

• Apply for AtW online, for Communication Support at Interview (CSI), new applications, and renewals.
• Contact AtW early (if possible) if you need support.
• Chase them if they don't reply to you. 
• Keep a record of your phone calls, emails, etc.

If you are employed:

If you are having problems getting your manager to sign your claim from (DP222), because of Coronavirus,   then you can send your claim form to AtW without it being signed.  You can do this for any work that was done on or after 13th September 2019.

There are three ways you can do this.  

First way:

1)   Complete your claim form (without the manager's signature).  
2)   Write on the claim form "Additional evidence is being sent by email".  You must do this.
3)  Contact your employer, and ask them to email AtW directly, saying that they can confirm (agree) the information on your claim form is correct. Your employer must send that email to: ATW.CONTINGENCY@DWP.GOV.UK.  (Ask your employer to CC you in to that email, so you know it has been sent).
4)  Post your completed claim form to AtW as normal.

Second way:

1)   Complete your claim form (without the manager's signature).  
2)   Write on the claim form "Additional evidence is being sent by email".  You must do this.
3)  Contact your employer ask them to email you, saying that they can confirm (agree) the information on your claim form is correct.  You can then forward your employer's email to: ATW.CONTINGENCY@DWP.GOV.UK  
4)  Post your completed claim form to AtW as normal.

Third way:

1)   Complete your claim form (without the manager's signature).  
2)   DeafATW suggests you write on the claim form "Additional evidence is attached".
3)  Contact your employer ask them to email you, saying that they can confirm (agree) the information on your claim form is correct.  Print their email out. 
4)  Attach your employer's email to your claim form.
5)  Post your completed claim form and your employers' printed email to AtW as normal.

If you are self-employed:

You can do the same as above.  But instead of your employer, email the Support Worker / interpreter, and ask them to email AtW directly.

If you can't post your claim form:

In the AtW Factsheet posted 12/5/20 it says 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 was updated 14/5/20 with information from the AtW factsheet about what to do if you can't post your claim form.

Normally if you send in your AtW claim, and it is more than six months old, AtW won't pay it. E.g. if you send in claim for February 2020 in September 2020 AtW won't pay.

Because of problems caused by Coronavirus, AtW have said that they will pay claims up to nine months old. E.g. if you send in claim for February 2020 in December 2020 AtW won't pay.

This information has been checked with AtW.

If you have an award for face to face interpreting, but because of Coronavirus and lockdown you need to use a remote interpreter provider instead, you can use use your award to pay for this.  If the cost remains the same overall, you don't need to ask or tell Access to Work.

When you do the AtW paperwork (DP222 claim form) you can say that this is "COVID-19 VRS instead of face-to-face", but you don't have to.

This advice looks different from the information in the updated AtW Customer Factsheet. 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.

This information has been checked with AtW.

This information has been updated to say that you can make this change without checking with AtW if the cost overall stays the same, and to check that it is still correct after the updated customer factsheet was published.

AtW have told DeafAtW that if you need to renew your AtW, and you have no change in circumstances (no change in your job, or what communication support you need, etc.), then you should apply online the same way as normal. AtW will then automatically add six months to your current award. For example, if your award finishes 30th May 2020, and you apply for renewal, your award will be automatically extended six months to 30th November 2020.

If you prefer to use BSL to apply for renewal, you can. Go the .gov AtW renewal page, and look down the page until you see "British Sign Language (BSL) video relay service" (see picture below), then click on the "go to video relay service" link.

If you need to renew and you have a change in circumstances (e.g. you have new things you have to do for work, or want to change the communication support you need, etc.) then AtW will first check if you are a Key Worker (e.g. you work in the NHS). If you are a Key Worker AtW will try to sort out your renewal as a priority. If you aren't a Key Worker, then AtW will sort out your reconsideration and change of circumstances request as soon as they can.

This information has been checked with AtW.

Originally the extension to the award was for three months, but is now for six months. AtW have also said they will prioritise (try to to deal with as quickly as possible) Key Worker Renewal requests when there is also a change in circumstances.  This update has been changed to reflect this information.

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.