Access to Work Software and Assistive Technology

Access to Work software funding can help with specialist tools needed because of a disability or health condition at work. That can include assistive software, but an award depends on your circumstances and the support agreed for your job. Finding a useful app is one step. Checking it works on your employer’s devices, getting the right quote and agreeing who buys it are just as important.

We make Recallify, so we hear practical questions about using software to capture information, remember instructions and follow through on tasks. This guide takes you from identifying the difficulty to setting up the support. For eligibility, applications and the wider scheme in England, Scotland and Wales, start with our Access to Work guide.

Access to Work software starts with a work need

The government’s overview of Access to Work lists specialist equipment and assistive software among the support a grant could help pay for. It is support for the individual, rather than a general software budget for the business. Northern Ireland has a separate service.

Before comparing products, write down a few moments when work becomes difficult. You might follow a conversation well but lose the action points afterwards. You might understand a written procedure but struggle to find your place when interrupted. Or you might need several reminders to return to a task that has no immediate deadline.

For each example, record the task, the difficulty and the consequence. A short description such as “I lose the next steps from team meetings and have to ask colleagues to repeat them” gives a clearer starting point than a list of app names. Add what you already use and where it falls short. That helps you explain the gap without suggesting that every part of your working day needs replacing.

Keep the examples specific to your job. A project coordinator and a shop supervisor might both struggle with remembering instructions, while needing very different tools. Our guide to workplace support for memory problems explores that part of the application in more detail.

Types of assistive software to consider

These are examples to discuss with an assessor, employer or case manager. They are not a list of automatically funded products. Start with the activity you need to carry out, then look at the features that could make it manageable.

• Capturing spoken information: recording and transcription tools can provide something to revisit after a conversation. Check whether the tool supports the kind of meeting you attend and whether recording is permitted.
• Reading and working with text: text-to-speech, reading displays and document tools offer different ways to access written information. Try them on the documents you use, including scanned files if those are part of your job.
• Writing and expressing ideas: dictation and writing support may suit someone who finds typing, spelling or organising a written response difficult. Test the vocabulary and document formats your role requires.
• Remembering and organising: reminders, task tools and ways to search captured information can help you return to an instruction or an unfinished job. Look at the number of steps needed to add and retrieve something.

When comparing Access to Work software, several tools may cover overlapping ground. Buying more does not necessarily make the working day easier: it can leave information scattered between accounts. During a demonstration, follow one example all the way through, from receiving an instruction to finding it later and completing the task.

For example, use a short, fictional meeting with three actions. Check whether you can find the relevant passage, correct a transcription error and set a reminder without help. Notice the effort involved when you are tired, as well as when a demonstrator is guiding you. Our guide to assistive technology for ADHD includes further examples of matching tools to difficulties.

Workplace checks before requesting a quote

Ask your IT team about proposed Access to Work software early. Give them the product name, supported devices and an explanation of what you plan to put into it. A tool that works on your personal phone may need a separate review before it can hold information from work.

Useful questions include whether installation is allowed, whether a browser version is available, and whether you can sign in on the devices you use. Check microphone access if you need recording or dictation. If your workplace uses shared computers, ask how you will keep your account separate and sign out safely.

Recording deserves its own conversation. Agree when it is appropriate, how participants will be informed, where the recording will be stored and who can access it. For a demonstration, use invented information rather than customer records, patient details or confidential business material. Ask the supplier to explain retention and deletion in terms your organisation can assess.

Also agree the everyday arrangement with your manager: time to learn the tool, written instructions when needed and a person to contact if it stops working. Software works alongside changes to working practices. Our reasonable adjustments guide covers options to discuss with an employer.

Quotes, licence terms and the funding decision

For an Access to Work software quote, ask the supplier to separate the licence, any setup or training, the licence term and VAT. Check the number of users, supported platforms and what happens when the term ends. An annual subscription that renews until cancelled is a different purchase from a fixed-term licence, even when the first year’s price is the same.

The Access to Work staff guide discusses compatibility, value for money and quotes. It contains different quote thresholds in different passages, so ask your case manager how many quotes your application needs. Keep their answer with your application records.

You can explain a preferred product, including features you have tried. That preference does not establish entitlement to it. The decision may support a different option that meets the agreed work need. If you already have a quote, check its expiry date and ask whether it will need updating while you wait.

According to GOV.UK’s guidance on the decision, your letter explains the grant amount and what it should pay for. Before ordering, check the product, term, training and payment arrangement against that letter. Ask the case manager to clarify any mismatch rather than assuming a similar product or longer licence is covered.

Employer contributions and arranging purchase

Mandatory cost share depends on the application and employer. The staff guide lists no mandatory cost share for employers with fewer than 50 staff; self-employed applicants are also exempt. Where cost share applies, medium and large employers have contribution thresholds. Other contributions can still be relevant. Our cost-share calculator provides an estimate; the agreed award determines the actual payment.

For a low-cost licence, an employer’s contribution can cover the whole purchase. An employer may therefore decide to buy suitable software directly. If you work for yourself, our guide for self-employed people and freelancers explains that application route.

Once support is agreed, establish who places the order and whose name goes on the invoice. If procurement uses a supplier or reseller, check that its quote describes the agreed product and term. Confirm who will send the activation details and who handles installation and support. Do not assume a supplier’s involvement means Access to Work has approved an item.

GOV.UK’s claims guidance asks for dates of support, invoices or receipts and payment details. You need an approval letter before claiming. Keep the quote, decision, invoice and licence details together so the person making the claim can find them.

Where Recallify AT fits

Recallify brings recording, transcription, structured summaries, tasks and reminders into one account across web, iOS and Android. You can return to captured material rather than relying on remembering it from a conversation. We recommend trying a representative task before deciding whether this approach fits your work.

For example, capture a practice briefing, review the transcript and summary, then check the extracted tasks against the source. Correct anything inaccurate before relying on it. Consider whether reminders arrive where you will notice them and whether you can find the information again the following day. A useful demonstration should leave room for those checks.

A one-year Core AT fixed-term licence costs £130, with no VAT added. Guided AT includes practitioner setup and follow-up support; it is a separate option. See our AT prices and quote request for current terms. A quote describes the product and cost; it does not confirm that Access to Work will fund Recallify.

Employers and assessors can book a demonstration to explore a workplace example and the practical setup. Bring questions about devices, information handling and the tasks that need support. Those details make it easier to judge whether the software belongs in the proposed arrangement.

A workable first week

When the software is available, start with one repeatable task. Agree when you will use it, where the resulting information will go and how you will check it. Keep a short note of anything that interrupts the process, such as a blocked microphone or a reminder arriving on the wrong device.

Arrange a review with the person helping you set up. Use it to adjust the routine and identify any training still needed. The aim is a tool you can use during an ordinary working day, with clear arrangements for support, payment and renewal.

Funding guidance checked against the GOV.UK sources linked above on 2 November 2026. Individual decisions and purchase arrangements should be confirmed with Access to Work.

Recallify is designed as an everyday support tool and is not a medical device. It does not provide diagnosis or clinical decision support, and is intended to complement, not replace, professional medical care.