There seems to be a lot of confusion around at the moment due to the two pieces of work being undertaken by government in regards to Access to Work.

There is still a lack of clarify around the DWP review and what it will involve (e.g. will it be a public consultation or an internal review). If the review is made over the summer (as expected), then we presume it will be completed by the end of September, however this has yet to be announced.

The Committee inquiry is separate from the DWP review.

The Committee’s inquiry will be different; it will be far broader, looking at all aspects of the operation of AtW, not just those which impact on deaf people. It will take longer to complete, reporting later in the year (approximately November time).

Committee reports make recommendations to the Government.

The Government is not obliged to accept the Committee’s recommendations but is expected to respond within two months.

As it is not certain whether or not a consultation will happen as part of the DWP review, it is important you submit to the inquiry. This could be the only chance you have to feedback your experiences.

There are just 8 days left to submit evidence to the inquiry.