Why is this important?

Since 2011, I have worked with autistic people and employers to improve access to employment. In that time, I have seen many examples where systems such as Access to Work have failed to provide the support people need.

One issue I’ve seen repeatedly is inconsistent treatment of people with similar support needs. For example, one person might have their Access to Work support approved quickly, while another waits months for a decision and/or is refused the same kind of support, with no clear explanation. This creates uncertainty and unfairness that undermines trust in the system. These differences are not always deliberate, but they can still have serious consequences.

We also know that Personal Independence Payment (PIP) plays an important role in many autistic people’s lives, including those who are in work or self-employed. PIP is not a work-related benefit. It helps cover the extra costs of being disabled or having a long-term health condition.

Many autistic people rely on PIP to afford things like travel to and from work, therapy, sensory equipment or additional support. If it is reduced or removed, it can make working much harder, especially for those who are self-employed and do not have employer-funded adjustments.

That is why this consultation is about more than just policy. It is about how we value and support autistic people to live, work and thrive on their own terms. It is an important opportunity to make those issues visible to those making decisions.

What is the Green Paper?

A Green Paper is a document the Government publishes as a consultation. It’s a way to test out ideas and ask the public what they think before making any decisions. This is why it is important to share your views.

You can find the full Green Paper here: Pathways to Work: Green Paper

If the full document is too long or complicated, the Government has also published an Easy Read version: Easy Read version (PDF)

Other versions of the Green Paper in other accessible formats such as large print or British Sign Language (BSL) are available here.

This Green Paper is about changing how benefits and work-related support are provided. That includes things like PIP, health assessments, and employment support. These are all issues that affect many autistic people and may influence what benefits and types of employment support they can access.

You can respond whether you’re on benefits, in work, out of work, or just concerned about the changes. You don’t need to be an expert, just honest about how the changes could affect you or other autistic people.

You can read our original thoughts on the Green Paper here.

What Autism Action is doing about the Green Paper

Autism Action believes the most powerful response to the Green Paper will come from autistic people themselves. That’s why we’re focusing our efforts on making the consultation accessible, encouraging as many individual responses as possible, and signposting people to the tools and support they need to take part.

We are also:

• Listening to autistic people’s views through our Community Advisory Panel and Autism Employment Network. If you are autistic and want to get involved, please consider joining the CAP.
• Prioritising accessible information and clear guidance so autistic people can respond in their own way. This includes publishing blogs, sharing the Easy Read version of the Green Paper, and offering tips for filling in the form.
• Speaking with parliamentarians to ensure autistic people’s experiences and concerns are heard as part of policy discussions.

We may also include key ideas from our Community Advisory Panel and Autism Employment Network in a summary response from Autism Action, but our main focus for the Green Paper is on supporting autistic people to speak for themselves.

Not sure about politics?

You don’t need to understand everything about politics and the Government to respond. If something feels wrong or unfair, you can say that. Your opinion matters.

How to respond

The official online form is the main way to give your views, and we will share the link to that form below. It includes 20 questions, which we have copied into a document you can download, read, and think about before filling in the form.

Why we’re sharing the questions in advance

We know that for many autistic people, it can be helpful to have more time to process information and prepare. The consultation form can feel long or difficult to complete all at once, and unfortunately it doesn’t let you save your progress.

That’s why we’ve shared the full list of questions in a separate document, so you can take your time, think about your answers, and write them down beforehand if that works better for you.

You will still need to fill out the Government’s form to send in your response, but having the questions in advance means you can go at your own pace and feel more confident about what you want to say.

You can read all 20 of the Government’s consultation questions in advance in this separate document – please click here and a pop up box will appear to download the word document.

You do not have to answer every question. You can use your own words and tell the Government about your own experiences.

Here’s a summary of the kinds of things the questions ask:

• Benefits and trying work: How can the benefits system help people try work without fear of losing their support? What should happen if someone loses PIP?
• Health assessments and support: How could health services or the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) support people better if they lose benefits?
• Work-related requirements: Should people be expected to have regular meetings or do work-related activities to keep their benefits? Who shouldn’t have to?
• Young people and benefits: Should disabled young people get access to support earlier or later than they do now?
• Support in the workplace: How can the Government help employers make adjustments? What should Access to Work look like in future?
• Safeguarding: What could the DWP do better to protect people who are vulnerable?
• Demographic questions: At the end of the form, the Government asks some basic questions such as whether you have a disability or health condition, where you live, and whether you are responding as yourself or on behalf of a group. We know that not all autistic people identify as disabled. However, the consultation form does not provide a way to explain your identity in more detail. You may want to think about how you choose to answer this question, especially if you want your experience as an autistic person to be considered in the analysis of responses.

How to fill in the official online form

There is an official Government webpage about the consultation here. 

The link to the consultation form is right at the bottom of that page, but you can get to it directly from this link.

Note: The form begins at Chapter 2. That’s because Chapter 1 contains background information that explains the reasons for the proposed changes. There are no questions about Chapter 1 but reading it might help you understand where the questions in Chapters 2 to 4 are coming from.

Chapter 1 covers:

• What the current benefits and support system looks like
• Why the Government thinks it needs to change
• Some of the challenges people face when trying to work
• Their goals for making the system “fairer” and more focused on work

You do not need to respond to Chapter 1. But reading it might help you understand where the questions in Chapters 2 to 4 are coming from.

Some tips for filling in the form:

• You can use your own words. There are no right or wrong answers.
• If a question is confusing, skip it.
• Use your experience. Share what it was like for you applying for benefits or Access to Work.
• If you are worried about having your benefits reduced or stopped or being asked to find unsuitable work, mention that.
• You can take breaks and come back to it later.
• You can ask someone you trust to help you fill it in or talk through the questions to think of ideas.

Tip: You can download the full list of questions and write your answers in Word first if that’s easier. That way, you can copy and paste your responses into the form without losing them.

Other ways to take part

If you do not want to use the online form, you can respond in other ways:

By email:
consultation.pathwaystowork@dwp.gov.uk

By post:
Disability and Health Support Directorate
Department for Work and Pensions
Level 2, Caxton House
Tothill Street
London
SW1H 9NA

Deadline to respond: 30 June 2025

Thank you for taking the time to read this and for considering a response. Your opinion matters.