New government ‘passport’ to help disabled graduates get in to employment

The Department for Work and Pensions’ (DWP) has launched an ‘Access to Work Adjustment Passport’ that it says will ease the transition from university into employment by reducing the need for repeated health assessments when starting a new job.

The pilot scheme, announced as part of the National Disability Strategy, is now getting underway at University of Wolverhampton and Manchester Metropolitan University.

Through Access to Work, disabled people can benefit from grants worth up to £62,900 to cover the cost of specialist equipment needed to support them to do their job.

A passport will be offered to students who already receive extra support while studying at university, capturing information about their condition and the adjustments they already benefit from, avoiding repetitive disclosures when it comes to applying for the grant once they start work.

Up to 100 students at each university will be supported through the trial, and thousands more could benefit if the scheme is rolled out across the country.

On International Day of People with Disabilities, Minister for Disabled People Chloe Smith has praised the scheme, which she believes will empower disabled students and those with long term health conditions, as they transition into the workplace.