Access to Work backlogs

That this House notes with concern the chronic delays in the Department for Work and Pensions’ administration of the Access to Work (AtW) scheme, which is vital in supporting disabled people to enter and remain in employment; further notes that new claims for employed applicants are currently taking around nine months to process, while self-employed applicants are facing delays of up to 14 months; also notes that even existing applicants are experiencing waits of up to seven weeks for payments to be processed; is alarmed that the DWP has increased its target for processing payments from 10 to 20 days due to staff shortages; recognises that many claimants need to submit claims in the final quarter of the year, placing additional strain on an already overstretched system; and is concerned by reports that over 60,000 applications remain unresolved as of early 2025.