Access to Work Cuts Threaten Disabled Entrepreneur’s Business and Wellbeing
- Speak to me
- Aug 8
- 3 min read
By Harry Georgiou – Speak To Me
When the UK Government says “disabled people who can work, should work,” you might assume they would protect the very schemes that make this possible. But for Da
niel Biddle, one of the most seriously injured survivors of the 7 July 2005 London bombings, recent Access to Work (AtW) cuts have left him facing the loss of his livelihood – and much more.
Daniel is the owner and CEO of the National Diversity, Employment and Advisory Service Limited, a recruitment company championing disabled people in the workplace. For the past four years, AtW has funded 40 hours of support from a workplace assistant each week – a vital lifeline that enables him to work despite severe, permanent injuries and complex PTSD.
“I lost both legs, an eye, my spleen, and I’m deaf in one ear. I died three times. The PTSD I live with is complex and triggered by things as simple as sirens or smoke,” Daniel says. “My support worker knows how to keep me safe and help me recover so I can keep working.”
From 40 Hours to 13
This April, Daniel applied to renew his AtW package. Four months later, he received his decision: his support was slashed from 40 hours per week to just 13. That’s less than two full working days of support – a cut of 27 hours a week, or 108 hours a month.
The consequences are immediate and severe. Daniel’s work often requires travel, site visits, and access audits for clients. Without daily support, he cannot take on key contracts – like a recent five-day accessibility audit at Bluestone National Park, where a smoke machine triggered a severe PTSD episode.
“With 13 hours, I couldn’t take that job. Without support every day, I’d likely end up in hospital,” Daniel explains. “If this isn’t reversed, I’ll probably lose my business.”
More Than a Job – A Lifeline
Work is not just a source of income for Daniel. It’s a focus that helps protect his mental health.
“If I’m not busy, my mind goes to places I don’t want it to,” he says. “My business helps other disabled people into work. Cutting my hours doesn’t just impact me – it hurts the people I support.”
The knock-on effects ripple far beyond Daniel’s own wellbeing. His company helps employers become more inclusive and gives other disabled jobseekers a fair chance at employment. If the business closes, opportunities for others will be lost.
A Broken System
Daniel’s experience reflects wider concerns raised by disabled people nationwide. While Ministers publicly champion disabled people in work, behind the scenes, decisions like these are dismantling the very support that makes it possible.
Renewal processes are slow and inconsistent. Daniel waited from April to August for a decision – despite his needs being permanent and unchanged. He says different AtW staff and managers often give conflicting advice, and there’s no medical or psychological expertise behind many decisions.
“They tell me there’s been no policy change, but the process was unnecessarily awkward. My legs won’t grow back. My PTSD isn’t going away. So why the cuts?”
At the same time, new applicants face waits of up to 30 weeks, and those appealing decisions wait an average of 100 days.
“Gaslighting and Scapegoating”
Daniel believes the government is sending a double message – one in public, another in policy.
“They say ‘if you can work, you should work,’ as if we choose not to. Then they destroy the mechanism that allows us to work. It feels like gaslighting and scapegoating disabled people.”
The cuts, he says, are not just financial savings – they’re dismantling lives, pushing people further into poverty, and taking away independence.
Call to Action
Daniel urges everyone who uses Access to Work to unite, speak out, and sign the Access to Work Collective’s open letter calling for urgent change.
“If most of the British public knew what was going on, they’d be utterly disgusted. We have to make sure it can’t be ignored.”
📢 Speak To Me stands with Daniel and with every disabled person fighting for their right to work.We will continue to amplify voices like his, demand fair and consistent support, and call on the Government to end these life-threatening
cuts.
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