THE government’s Access to Work scheme is in “absolute crisis” despite its promise to clear a 60,000 case backlog, the TUC disabled workers’ conference heard today.

Disability Rights UK head of policy Fazilet Hadi told delegates at the annual conference in Bournemouth that the system meant to help workers with accessibility issues in their work was itself “inaccessible.”

Speaking on a panel on systemic barriers to work, Ms Hadi said: “It’s great that the government is going to get rid of the backlog. We hear that they are going to appoint new workers to actually clear the backlog.

“But it’s an inaccessible system and they are making it more inaccessible by making it harder to communicate with them. The delays are terrible: 37 weeks if you are employed and double that if you’re self-employed.

“And even worse than that is they are rationing [payments], they’re cutting people’s support packages.”

The Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) announced today it was recruiting 500 more workers to help bring down the backlog inherited by the previous Conservative government.

Claims through the scheme have doubled since 2018/19, with the DWP estimating that there are currently around 60,000 applicants waiting for decisions.

Ms Hadi added that employers are failing in their responsibility to provide reasonable adjustments required by law to allow disabled workers to perform their jobs.

Along with the government’s recent threats to personal independence payments (Pip), a lack of investment in social care, health, education and support for young people have also hit disabled people hardest, she explained.

She added: “We can have all the rights in the world but if we don’t have the support we need, we are really left isolated and excluded.”

Unison national policy officer on disability issues Katrina Gilman said that Britain was “on the cusp of politicians [being elected] who want to rip up the Equality Act.

“It could be the biggest barrier to work that we have faced since before the introduction of the Disability Discrimination Act.

“Trade unions have to ensure that disabled workers are under no illusion: Reform in power will be devastating for disabled workers.”

Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden said Access to Work is a “lifeline for disabled people” and that is “why [he is] taking action to clear the backlog, because we know that the right support can change lives.”