Office & Workplace
How to Claim the Workplace Charging Scheme in 2026
Workplace Charging Scheme: how to claim step by step — eligibility checks, the online portal, your voucher code, and how an OZEV-authorised installer redeems it.
By Evova · Published
Claiming the Workplace Charging Scheme (WCS) is a four-step process, and the order matters: apply online before any installation work starts, receive a voucher code by email (usually within 5 working days), pass the code to an OZEV-authorised installer, and the installer fits the chargepoints and redeems the voucher within 180 days. The grant covers 75% of purchase and installation costs (including VAT), capped at £500 per socket for up to 40 sockets across all your sites, and it is deducted straight from the installer’s invoice — you never handle the money. Funding is confirmed until 31 March 2027 (last checked against GOV.UK, July 2026).
This guide covers the how. For what the scheme is, start with our Workplace Charging Scheme explainer; for whether it suits your organisation, the business case guide weighs up the tax reliefs and costs.
Step 1: Check your eligibility before you open the portal
Most failed applications fall at this hurdle, so run through the checklist first.
| Check | What you need |
|---|---|
| Organisation type | A registered business, charity or public sector body (small accommodation businesses also qualify) |
| Proof of status | A Companies House number, a VAT registration number, or a business rates bill (Land and Property Services in Northern Ireland) |
| Parking | Dedicated off-street parking for staff or fleet use — customer-only parking is not eligible |
| Property | You own the site, or you hold landlord consent for every site in the application |
| Need | An existing need for EV charging, or a declared intent to encourage EV uptake among staff or fleet |
| Timing | Chargers not yet installed — the voucher must be issued before work begins |
Last checked July 2026 against the GOV.UK scheme guidance.
Two caveats. State-funded schools and colleges should use the separate education scheme — worth up to £2,000 per socket, covered in full in our schools EV charging guide — rather than the standard WCS; independent schools apply through the standard route. And subsidy-control limits can apply if you have received other public funding recently — the thresholds are technical, so check GOV.UK or ask your accountant.
Step 2: Apply online and receive your voucher
Applications are made on the WCS portal at apply-workplace-chargepoint-grant.service.gov.uk. You’ll confirm your organisation’s details, supply one of the accepted proofs of status, list each site, and make the declaration of need — so have the paperwork in front of you.
Successful applicants receive a unique voucher code by email, usually within 5 working days. That starts the clock: the voucher is valid for 180 days, and the installation must be finished and the installer’s claim submitted before it expires. Commercial jobs can stretch — a distribution-board upgrade or network-operator works can add weeks — so if the deadline becomes impossible, email workplacechargingscheme@dvla.gov.uk (the DVLA administers the scheme on OZEV’s behalf) to withdraw and reapply for a fresh voucher rather than letting it lapse.
Step 3: Choose an OZEV-authorised installer and approved hardware
Only an OZEV-authorised installer can redeem a WCS voucher. A perfectly competent general electrician cannot, and discovering this after the install is one of the more painful ways to lose the grant — confirm authorisation before you sign anything. You can find installers who handle workplace jobs in our directory, or request a free quote and compare a few.
The hardware matters just as much: chargepoints must be new, appear on the GOV.UK list of approved chargepoint models for the scheme, and carry a minimum 3-year on-site warranty covering parts and installation. A model that isn’t on the list is not grant-eligible, however good it is. The installer will assess your supply and distribution board as part of the quote — the right moment to sanity-check how many sockets you actually need.
Step 4: The installer redeems the voucher — and what gets checked
After installation, the installer submits the claim to the scheme administrator: your voucher code, the installation details, and evidence such as photos identifying each chargepoint and the off-street parking spaces served. You then receive a confirmation email and have 7 calendar days to confirm the details or raise concerns before payment proceeds — it is your formal chance to flag errors.
OZEV can also select installations for audit. You and the installer may need to allow a site inspection and supply documents, and non-compliance can see the payment withheld or reclaimed — keep the paperwork filed. The grant itself is paid to the installer after the claim is approved — but that wait is the installer’s cash-flow problem, not yours, because the £500 per socket should already be off your invoice.
Common rejection reasons — and how to avoid them
- No acceptable proof of status. Supply a Companies House number, VAT registration number or business rates bill; without one, no voucher is issued.
- Ineligible parking. Customer-only or on-street parking fails; spaces must be dedicated, off-street and for staff or fleet use.
- Missing landlord consent. Rented premises are fine, but you need the landlord’s consent for every site listed.
- Applying after installation. The voucher must exist before work starts — retrospective claims fail.
- A non-authorised installer or an off-list charger. Either one sinks the claim at redemption, however well the job went.
- An expired voucher. Withdraw and reapply via the DVLA email if 180 days won’t be enough.
One dead end: older guides mention an EV infrastructure grant for staff and fleets that could be stacked with the WCS, but it no longer appears on GOV.UK’s list of open chargepoint grants. Landlords do still have a separate live scheme — the landlord chargepoint grant, up to £500 per socket across up to 200 sockets, also until 31 March 2027.
Grant rules, amounts and deadlines change — the WCS per-socket rate itself rose from £350 to £500 only on 1 April 2026. Everything above was checked against GOV.UK in July 2026; before you build a budget around the scheme, verify the current terms on the official Workplace Charging Scheme pages — our WCS grant page records when each figure was last checked.