When Chris McCausland won Strictly Come Dancing in 2024, he held his trophy aloft and said: “It’s for everyone out there that thought and got told they couldn’t do something. It just shows with opportunity and support and determination, anything can happen.” Later that month, he delivered Channel 4’s Alternative Christmas Message. In it, McCausland warned that Access to Work (AtW), a scheme run by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), was under threat due to a lack of funding.
AtW provides grants to employers and self-employed workers to cover the cost of reasonable adjustments a disabled person may need in the workplace. Behind McCausland’s jovial reflection on the value of different mince pies was a heartfelt plea to protect this little-known yet vital cog in our national machine.
