• Address gaps in administrative and survey data and implement any scheme changes in a way that allows evaluation of effectiveness and value for money.

• Update guidance so it aligns more closely with the scheme’s objectives and supports caseworkers to make consistent decisions.

• Improve the quality of data collected on case progress and use analytical techniques (such as process mining) to identify and resolve bottlenecks in the customer journey.

• Complete the work study to set a new productivity standard and develop an action plan, including innovative approaches, to help case managers meet it.
  

Whilst we welcome the report and its insights BASE would argue that the pivotal role that Access to Work plays in supporting disabled people and people with long‑term health conditions to secure and sustain employment, remains unrecognised.  For many disabled people, Access to Work is the difference between being able to work or being locked out of employment altogether. 

The significant increase in demand for Access to Work, highlighted by the NAO, is not happening in isolation. It reflects the cumulative impact of austerity, widening health inequalities, and social and economic systems that continue to place barriers in the way of disabled people. When everyday systems, from transport and housing to health and employment practices, are inaccessible, it is entirely predictable that demand for individualised support will rise. Without addressing these issues through the social model of disability, that demand will continue to grow. 

The NAO rightly focuses on the need for improvements within the Department for Work and Pensions, including better processes, greater standardisation and upskilling staff to manage the scheme more effectively. These changes are important and necessary, but they are not sufficient on their own.  

What is missing is a wider national conversation about how serious we are as a country about breaking down barriers to work. Disabled people represent a huge pool of talent, skill and experience within our communities. Unlocking that talent requires more than administrative reform – it requires ambition, leadership and sustained investment. 

If we genuinely want to see improvements in employment outcomes, Access to Work must sit within a fully funded, evidence‑led approach that prioritises barrier removal, not one that is constrained by fitting support into a predetermined financial envelope. This means addressing wider systemic barriers alongside individual support, and recognising that inclusion is not a cost to be managed, but an investment that benefits individuals, employers and the economy as a whole. 

The NAO report should be a catalyst for that broader conversation. The question now is whether we are prepared to act with the urgency and seriousness that disabled people and our labour market deserve. 

NAO Access to Work Report February 2026

NAO Press release 6 February 2026

Quoting headline figures of 

• 2.8 million people out of work due to ill health or disability
• 1 in 8 young people not in education, employment or work
• Too many people trapped in low paid, poor quality work, with little prospect of improving their lot in life. Of those in low in pay in 2006, only one-in-six escaped it a decade later.

Ms Kendall spoke of the “employment opportunity unleashed for all” as part of the government’s long-term ambition to reach 80 per cent employment, with better quality of work, and higher earnings, through enabling local leaders to tailor schemes to get people people back into work.

The Pathways to Work Commission was launched in July 2023 to examine the disparities between those recognised as officially 'unemployed' and the 'economically inactive' and to seek solutions to barriers faced by job seekers and employers within the local labour market.  

Key findings from the report include 

• helping anyone who wants to work to find a job will need national changes. These will need to include a national strategy to raise labour market participation, more devolution to empower places like Barnsley, and fresh expectations of employers across the country. It will also include looking afresh at parts of our health, education and benefits system.
  
• Targeted support for people that have been out of work and would like to re-enter the jobs market in Barnsley. This would focus on building capacity so that more people can be supported effectively. There’s a key opportunity to identify and address barriers to support locally.
• One-to-one professional support for people who need help to achieve their goals. The support is built on a therapeutic relationship that helps people to address barriers and realise their potential. This support will help people to find and access opportunities that are right for them.
• Innovating with businesses to build training and roles to create more opportunities for people who’ve been out of work for some time. This will help to build the skills, employability and work readiness of residents, while incentivising and de-risking recruitment for businesses.
• Data and intelligence-led approaches will aid performance monitoring. This should be integrated into current reporting arrangements to reduce duplication and administrative burden on providers.
• A focus on prevention to support people before they fall out of work will help to make the approach sustainable. This will also help to ensure that young people stay in education, training or work after they finish school.

pathways-to-work-commission_.pdf