Work Equipment

About this scheme

Work Equipment is one of the supports available directly to employees and self-employed people under the Department of Social Protection's Work and Access scheme. It funds assistive equipment or technology needed to do a job, in the workplace or remotely, including specialist training to use it if needed. Examples include specialised furniture, alternative keyboards, screen magnifiers, induction loop systems, and screen-reading or voice recognition software. Work and Access pays up to €12,000 for equipment used in the workplace, and separately up to €12,000 for equipment used in a remote-working premises, each including training if needed. The employer or self-employed person must support and sign off on the application, and the applicant sources and buys the approved equipment before claiming reimbursement; ownership stays with the applicant unless the item becomes part of the employer's own equipment. Funding cannot cover equipment an employer would normally provide, usual business costs, or specific legal requirements; changes to existing equipment are covered under the separate Workplace Adaptation support instead. To apply, complete the Work and Access application form (WA1).

Who can apply

• Must meet the general Work and Access eligibility requirements
• Applicant must be an employee or self-employed person who needs assistive equipment or technology to do their job, in their workplace or from home
• Employer (or the self-employed person themselves) must support and sign off on the application to source and buy the approved equipment and claim reimbursement
• The applicant keeps ownership of the equipment unless it becomes part of the employer's own equipment
• Cannot be used to pay for equipment employers would normally provide for everyday job tasks or job-specific equipment employers usually provide, for the usual costs of setting up or running a business, or to meet legal obligations under the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 or the Employment Equality Acts 1998 to 2015
• Funding for changes to existing equipment is covered under the separate Workplace Adaptation support, not this one

How to apply

1. 1Confirm you meet the general Work and Access eligibility requirements
2. 2Complete the Work and Access application form (WA1)
3. 3Have your employer (or, if self-employed, yourself) support and sign off on the application, confirming any assistive technology will work with existing workplace devices and systems before it is bought
4. 4Send the completed form via a local Intreo Centre or Branch Office, by email to WorkandAccess@welfare.ie, or by post to Employment Services Management Support Team, Department of Social Protection, PO Box 13736, Co Louth, FDN7696
5. 5Source and buy the approved equipment, then claim reimbursement from the department — up to €12,000 for workplace equipment and up to €12,000 for remote-working equipment
6. 6For software updates or licence renewals in future years, apply and get approval again before your employer pays for the renewal