Sir Stephen Timms is a government minister.
He works in Parliament, where the government makes decisions.
His job is to look after issues that affect Disabled people, work, and health.
Sir Stephen Timms has talked about possible cuts to Access to Work.
The government plans to introduce a new digital service for Access to Work.
This plan might also mean spending less money on Access to Work.
Access to Work helps Disabled people get the support they need to do their jobs.
It gives money for things like assistive technology and equipment.
Access to Work can also help pay for transport.
It also pays for personal support workers
The scheme helps Disabled people work equally with others.
The news about cuts comes after Labour promised to make work fairer for Disabled people.
Labour said their priority is removing barriers to employment.
Access to Work already has delays, with 55,000 applications waiting to be processed.
The government spends more on Access to Work now than in 2017.
But rising costs mean the money is not enough to help everyone.
Fewer Disabled people have jobs compared to non-disabled people.
Many Disabled people work for small employers who cannot pay for delays in Access to Work.
WECIL has faced problems with Access to Work delays.
For example, WECIL waited over 28 weeks for claims to pay for team members’ transport.
WECIL paid for these costs themselves to keep supporting Disabled workers.
Most employers cannot afford to do this, which stops them hiring Disabled people.
WECIL says the government must not cut Access to Work funding.
Supporting Disabled workers is essential for fair workplaces.
