What would happen if your support disappeared?
If your Access to Work grant is approaching its renewal date, you might be starting to feel that familiar uncertainty creeping back in.
You know how much this support matters to your ability to work. And now you’re being asked to go through the process again, and you don’t know how things may have changed in Access to Work since you last had to deal with them. Did things stay the same, change, or become more difficult?
Renewals can feel particularly stressful because they’re not just as simple as renewing what you already have in your grant as it is. Even if your needs haven’t changed, your support will usually be reassessed from the beginning. If you have a support worker, this includes completing a new Support Worker Record of Tasks (SWROT) form too.
This consultation gives you a calm space to understand what to expect from the renewal process, how to prepare for it, and how to communicate your needs clearly so you can move forward with confidence.
When your renewal is coming up
Access to Work typically invites you to renew your grant around 12 weeks before your current award ends. You’ll receive an email with a link to complete a short renewal form.
After that, your renewal is assigned to a case manager. This can take several weeks, and in many cases, you should expect another assessment, even if you’re simply requesting the same support as before.
For many people, this is where the anxiety starts.
You might be wondering:
Will they cut my hours or reduce my support?
What if I say something wrong in a call with the case manager?
What if they don’t understand how my disability affects my work?
What if the rules have changed since my last award?
What happens if I want to request additional support?
These concerns are very common, especially because the final decisions are often based on conversations with case managers and how your needs are explained.
Having a clear strategy before those conversations happen can make a significant difference.
This call is for you if:
Your grant renewal is approaching and you want to prepare calmly and strategically rather than scrambling under pressure
You’re worried your existing support might be reduced or removed
You want to request additional support but don’t know how that might affect your current award
Your work situation, responsibilities, or support needs have changed since your last award
You want to understand what the renewal process will actually look like for you
You’re nervous about speaking with a case manager and want to feel prepared
You want to avoid common renewal mistakes that can unintentionally put your existing support at risk
Your Access to Work grant is due to be renewed in the next 12-6 weeks
Your grant will not automatically renew, even if your needs haven’t changed. Taking time to prepare in advance can make the process far less stressful.
Why preparation matters for renewals
The renewal process often involves reassessing your support from the beginning.
Even if you’re asking for the same help as before, Access to Work may still review your needs, your work tasks, and the type of support you receive. This is not because your situation changed, but because Access to Work may have undergone changes since you were last given an award.
If you want to request additional support, this can also affect your existing award.
This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t ask for changes if you need them. But it does mean it helps to understand how the system works so you can make informed decisions about how to approach your renewal.
Another important factor is timing.
In some cases, case managers now give very short deadlines (sometimes as little as two days) to return the information they’re asking for. When people aren’t prepared for these requests, they can end up rushing through important things under pressure.
Preparing ahead of time helps you avoid that situation.
What we’ll do during the consultation
During our 60-minute session, we’ll focus on your specific renewal situation so you know what to expect and how to prepare.
Depending on your needs, we can look at things like:
What the renewal process is likely to look like in your situation
What has changed since your last award (work tasks, hours, responsibilities, or your needs)
Whether you want to request any additional support
How new requests might affect your existing grant
How to explain your support needs clearly in a way Access to Work understands
What evidence or documents you may need to prepare
What may have gone awry in a previous year’s renewal (even if just for the sake of getting closure)
What to expect from conversations with your case manager or assessor
How to approach the Support Worker Record of Tasks (SWROT) form for renewing your existing grant for a support worker (please note that completing the Support Worker Record of Tasks form on your behalf is a separate service, but I can walk you through the principles of how to complete it yourself during our call)
Covering any questions you may have, about anything Access to Work-related
My consultations always focus on what you need the most. The consultation is led by your questions, needs, and situation, and my goal is to give you a clear understanding of the process and a practical strategy for approaching your renewal.
What you’ll walk away with
During our 60-minute call, we’ll focus on what matters most to your situation so you can:
Understand your next steps clearly without any guesswork
Feel confident that you haven’t missed anything important because you have personalised advice based on your work situation and support needs
Know what to expect from calls, emails, or decisions
Gain clarity about timelines and the different stages of an Access to Work renewal and know what the process will likely involve for you
Communicate your needs in a way Access to Work understands
Be aware of common mistakes and how to avoid them
Be clear about whether and how to request additional support
Leave with a practical plan you can follow
after the consultation:
Within 24 hours of our call, you’ll receive:
An email with a short summary of what we discussed
Access to the Otter.ai transcription of our consultation so you can always refer back to what we went through
Any relevant links, tools, or signposting based on your situation
By the end of the session, you’ll feel ready to take action and more in control of the process, feeling confident because you know exactly what you need to do.
Instead of second-guessing every decision or worrying that one mistake will cost you your existing support, you'll know where you stand, what you can expect, what happens next, and what you can do to get the best outcomes.
What happens after you purchase
You’ll receive an email with a link to book your consultation.
You choose a time that works for your online meeting (cameras optional).
You’ll also receive a short confirmation and reminder before the session.
Within 24 hours after our call, you’ll receive your personalised follow-up email
Practicalities & boundaries
Sessions are held on Google Meet
Captions are available
Support people are welcome
Breaks are okay, though the session finishes at the scheduled time
I work Monday-Thursday, 10am-5pm
Emails receive a response within 48 working hours
You can reschedule your booking using the link in your confirmation email. There is no limit to how many times you can reschedule.
If a session is missed without 24 hours' notice, it will be considered completed.
This service is not the right fit if:
Your case manager has already contacted you about your renewal and you have immediate deadlines to respond.
You have an urgent, same-day, or last-minute deadline. From my experience, the outcomes of our discussion will take several days to implement and put into action, no matter what part of the Access to Work process you are at. This means that while I could give you advice, if you have an upcoming deadline in the next 3 days, you won’t be able to have the consultation with me and also implement what you need to do in time.
You’ve already had your first call with your case manager and things didn’t go as well as you hoped. Managing a situation where you've already communicated something to your case manager during your renewal can be challenging without further complications. Unfortunately, I’m unable to step in to fix issues if we haven’t worked on your application together from the start.
You hope to take specific actions during the call together (for example, draft emails or fill out a form together). The purpose of the consultation is to give you clear advice and understanding about your situation and what steps you need to take. While I will guide you on how to approach these steps, we will not carry out any actions together during the call. It is up to you to implement the advice given, or we can discuss any further support I might be able to offer as part of a separate service.
This consultation works best when there is enough time to prepare calmly and think strategically about your renewal, rather than trying to respond to requests at the last minute.
I recommend that you book this service 12-6 weeks before your renewal date.
A gentle note
The Access to Work system can feel confusing and unpredictable, especially when you’re asked to go through the process again after finally having support that works.
Many neurodivergent people worry about saying the wrong thing, being misunderstood, or losing the support that helps them do their job.
If having clear guidance, personalised advice, and a strategy for approaching your renewal would help you feel calmer and more prepared, you’re very welcome to book a consultation.
