Originally published here.

The Department for Work and Pensions has launched a new Health Adjustment Passport to help more people with chronic conditions and disabilities to get a job. It says the aim is to identify any special support needed by individuals in the workplace.

Disabled people can fill in their details on the passport and show it to potential employers, DWP work coaches and, if they already have a job, any existing managers, instead of having to explain their specific health needs all the time. The passport also provides access to funding that can pay for equipment, transport, your own special assistant at work, and other requirements.

Government guidance says employers must "make sure workers with disabilities, or physical or mental health conditions, are not substantially disadvantaged when doing their jobs." This applies to all workers, including trainees, apprentices, contract workers and business partners.

What does the Health Adjustment Passport actually do?

The DWP says the Health Adjustment Passport (HAP) is now available on GOV.UK and can be used by those with a disability or health condition to help identify the support and changes they may need when moving into work, or while already in work.

The passport is a way of detailing how your health issues or disabilities make it harder for you to move into work or stay in your job, so you can get extra help. You can use it to:

identify the support and changes - known as reasonable adjustments - you may need in the workplace. These are the changes your employer must legally make to help you do your job.

apply for cash from Access to Work. This could include funding for specialist equipment, help getting to and from work, or assistance while you are at work. We've included more information on this scheme below.

help you talk to employers about adjustments and in-work support that you may need

A job could also include self-employment, an apprenticeship, work experience, or a supported internship, the DWP said. Clarifying what is meant by reasonable adjustments, it says this can include employers being required to:

change the recruitment process so a candidate can be considered for a job

do things another way, such as allowing someone with a social anxiety disorder to have their own desk instead of hot-desking

make physical changes to the workplace, like installing a ramp for a wheelchair user or an audio-visual fire alarm for a deaf person

let a disabled person work somewhere else, such as on the ground floor for a wheelchair user

change their equipment - for instance, providing a special keyboard if they have arthritis

allow employees who become disabled to make a phased return to work, including flexible hours or part-time working

offer employees training opportunities, recreation and refreshment facilities

The DWP said in its guidance: "The HAP (Health Adjustment Passport) is owned by the individual, who can decide how they want to use it and completion is voluntary, with support from a work coach if appropriate. You may wish to promote the HAP to your networks and consider hosting the HAP link on your own websites."

The Health Adjustment Passport - which is available as a document here - begins by asking for your name, what type of work you would like and how many hours you could do. It goes on to ask about your disabilities, how they may have affected you in any previous roles, and if you need support to access work premises, such as lifts, ramps for a wheelchair, widened doors, reserved parking, or clear signage.

It also asks if you require support to get to work including help when using public transport, a taxi, adaptations to a vehicle, or a travel buddy. In addition, you can ask for an adjusted interview process to take into account differences in communication styles - for example, additional processing time, prompting to give more or less information, a British Sign Language interpreter, a British Sign Language video relay service support, lip speakers or a note-taker.

Further sections of the health passport ask about specialist equipment that might be needed such as a Braille reader, handheld magnifier, hearing aids, a wheelchair or noise-cancelling headphones, and other changes such as adjustable lighting or quiet spaces. It also asks people to fill in information on whether they need someone with them at work such as a support worker or job coach to help with workplace coping strategies, such as understanding expectations, following instructions, extra processing time, explaining unwritten rules, or supporting your relationship with your manager.

So what is Access to Work?

Access to Work is a Government scheme that can give cash to help you get or stay in work if you have a physical or mental health condition or disability. The Health Adjustment Passport can be used to apply to this scheme.

But Access to Work will not pay for any of the reasonable adjustments mentioned above, as those must be carried out by an employer - the scheme will advise your workplace bosses if those sorts of changes need to be put in place.

Through Access to Work, you can apply for:

a grant to help pay for practical support with your work such as sign language interpreters, adaptations to your vehicle and taxi fares - check if you are eligible and then apply for an Access to Work grant here

support with managing your mental health at work - check you are eligible for mental health support and then apply directly to either Able Futures or Remploy.

money to pay for communication support at job interviews - apply here

Your workplace can include your home if you work from there some or all of the time. It does not matter how much you earn. If you get an Access to Work grant, it will not affect any other benefits you get and you will not have to pay it back. But you or your employer may need to pay some costs upfront and claim them back later.

Generally, for support from Access to Work, you must:

have a physical or mental health condition or disability that means you need support to do your job or get to and from work

be 16 or over

be in paid work (or be about to start or return to paid work in the next 12 weeks)

live and work (or be about to start or return to work) in England, Scotland or Wales - there’s a different system in Northern Ireland

be aware there are different eligibility criteria for communication support at a job interview.

Health issues covered by this scheme can include, for example:

a physical disability, such as being hard of hearing or having to use a wheelchair

a learning disability or related condition, such as Down’s syndrome

a developmental condition, such as autism spectrum disorder

learning difficulties or differences like ADHD or dyslexia

an illness such as diabetes or epilepsy

a temporary condition, like a broken leg

a mental health condition such as anxiety or depression

You do not need to be diagnosed with a condition to apply for mental health support, and you will only need to give evidence of your condition if you are applying for help with transport costs.

You can read the complete article here.