Sally44 Report post Posted May 24, 2010 I've been meaning to post about this for some time, but just not round to it. Access to Work is via Jobcentre Plus. It allows you to claim for taxi fares when a taxi is the only form of transport that the adult can use and that is related to either their medical condition or their availability to work. My sister has claimed this for some years now, so I don't know what the criteria is for new applicants. But initially we claimed because my sister was on medication that meant she was still sleepy and not fully aware in the morning. Travelling by bus was causing problems, although a bus was available. Her GP supported our claim that a taxi into work would mean she was travelling in a safe environment whilst waking up properly. Then her employer reduced the staff working days from 5 to 4 days meaning they started work very early in the morning. This meant that a bus was not even running at that time. So as my sister is not capable of learning to drive, she had to use a taxi to go into work, and used public transport to get home. Again our claim was successful. So I just thought others out there might want to look into this if it is relevent to their situatiion, especially if travelling in rush hour traffic on public transport is a serious issue, or if medication is an issue as well. Some may already be paying for a taxi and not realise they can claim that back. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
trekster Report post Posted May 24, 2010 Thanks for the tips. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
chris54 Report post Posted May 24, 2010 Not sure if it the same thing but on one of the "Back to work" schemes my wife was on she was told that I could claim travel costs if I were to take her to and from work by car, but as she never got a job I dont know. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
zenemu Report post Posted May 25, 2010 No, Access to work is a completely seperate thing. It's a great resource actually. The idea is that it is designed to help people with disabilities get work and maintain it. If you need a lightweight wheelchair for example to get around your office and make it easier to get in and out of your car, they will pay for that. If your place of work needs some reasonable adjustment to give you access, they will pay for that too. They are incredibly flexible and very sensible about how they do things. The way it works is that you contact them about what you want to claim, that is then agreed, and you pay for it up front. You then submit your reciepts / paperwork and they will pay you back. In some situations and for some things they will pay up front, but that is usually for things like building adaptations ect. My partner is a wheelchair user and has used them a few times for certain things and she regularly refers people to them. They have always been very helpful and approachable about everything she has needed even if it has been a bit complex. Here is the website: Access to work. Zen Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sally44 Report post Posted May 25, 2010 Yes the people I have dealt with have always been very helpful. But I wanted to point out that help you can get is not just about physical things such as a wheelchair. Someone might get a job that they are perfectly capable of doing, but the travelling to work maybe something they simply cannot deal with and are travelling to/from work in a taxi. They should be able to claim that back, and probably do not know about it. Like many benefits, no-one tells you what is out there or what the criteria is for them. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Aeolienne Report post Posted March 3, 2013 Here is the website: Access to work Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites