Access to Work figures appear to show spending cuts, but DWP insists there is an explanation

Summary

Government figures show spending on the UK's Access to Work scheme fell by nearly 7% in real terms from 2024-25 to 2025-26, while the number of recipients increased, resulting in a 12% drop in average payments per disabled worker. The Department for Work and Pensions attributes the apparent cut to accounting timing differences, but disabled campaigners report ongoing concerns about reduced support budgets and delays affecting disabled workers' ability to remain employed.