TheUnrushed Mind
Access to Work — a plain-English guide

Fund your coaching through Access to Work

If you’re employed or self-employed and ADHD makes work harder than it should, the UK government’s Access to Work scheme can fund specialist 1:1 coaching — and it could pay for our work together in full.

A walker on a path through a misty cedar forest
First things first

Three things worth knowing straight away

It’s a grant, not a loan

You don’t pay it back, and it doesn’t affect your other benefits.

No diagnosis needed

It’s not means-tested, and you don’t need a formal diagnosis to apply — what matters is how things affect you at work.

You choose your coach

Access to Work may suggest providers, but the choice is yours.

Am I eligible?

Who can apply

You can apply if you’re 16 or over, live in England, Scotland or Wales, and you’re in paid work (even one hour a week), self-employed, or about to start a job or work trial. You don’t need your employer’s permission to apply.

How it works — the honest version

Five steps, start to finish

We talk first

Book a free discovery call. We’ll work out whether coaching is right for you and whether Access to Work is the right route to fund it.

You apply

Via the GOV.UK Access to Work portal. Focus your application on work: the barriers you face and the strategies coaching will help you build. (Think “manage overwhelm in high-pressure meetings” rather than anything that sounds like therapy — Access to Work funds workplace support, not treatment.)

An assessor contacts you

Usually by phone or video. Be honest about your hardest days, not your best ones.

If approved

You’ll receive an award letter setting out what’s funded and for how long.

We begin

Sessions are paid upfront in blocks, and you claim the cost back through the scheme’s portal. I provide the detailed invoices Access to Work requires, and a formal quote for your application if you’d like one.

“Because funding works by reimbursement, the money goes out before it comes back. And applications can take several weeks — so the earlier you start, the better.”

Why work with me on this?

I’ve walked this route before

I’ve coached clients through Access to Work before, so I know what assessors look for and what the paperwork needs to say. I can’t promise an outcome — that decision rests with the DWP — but I can make the route a great deal less daunting.

Useful links:  GOV.UK — Access to Work  ·  GOV.UK — Apply for Access to Work  ·  Access to Work factsheet for customers

Start with a conversation

Book a free 30-minute discovery call and we’ll work out whether coaching — and Access to Work — is the right route for you.