Chapter 5: Provider Referrals and Payment System (PRaP)
Updated 5 June 2023
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General information
5.01. The Provider Referrals and Payments (PRaP) system enables secure, automated exchanges of information about customers referred to DWP provision and payments from DWP for these customers.
5.02. You will access PRaP via DWP Authenticate and download information to your IT system, where you will be able to manage and update information about customer progress into PRaP.
5.03. Payment claims and calculations are generated automatically.
5.04. The PRaP system also provides transparent data about the cost and performance of DWP provision and payments, supporting contract and performance management.
5.05. Find further information about PRaP in the PRaP questions and answers.
Find more information on the PRaP system.
Information can also be found in the PRaP Operational Support Team Guidance for Access to Work which has been sent to you.
PRaP Operational Support Team (POST)
5.06. The PRaP Operational Support Team (POST) will carry out administration and approval functions to support your referrals on PRaP. Further information and full details of the POST role can be found in the PRaP UPK guidance, which is available within the PRaP on-line help function.
5.07. If you have a further query about the system, you can request live help from the PRaP Operational Support Team (POST) at prap.support@dwp.gov.uk or contact the Help Line on 0345 604 5406, Option 2.
Security
5.08. To access and use the system, you have to meet your responsibilities under the Data Protection Act to keep all data securely and confidentially. You should be aware that system security monitoring is carried out.
5.09. You must ensure you meet relevant security requirements when contracts go live and thereafter. Read details on provider security information.
Using the PRaP system
5.10. You will use the PRaP system to receive your referrals and to record customer activity.
5.11. Direct access to PRaP is limited to prime service providers/ contract holders (you).
5.12. You must ensure that you update the PRaP system promptly and accurately.
5.13.There are 2 opportunity types for an Access to Work Holistic assessment referral.
- Face to Face Holistic Assessment AtW – for an assessment conducted in person
- Virtual Holistic Assessment AtW – for an assessment conducted virtually via videolink or telephone or any other method permitted in your contract
5.14. On receipt of the Needs Assessment Referral Form from the Access to Work Adviser, providers may commence engagement activities, i.e. booking appointments. However, if you have not received the associated PRaP referral the following working day, you must e-mail the Access to Work Adviser immediately, sending a copy of this e-mail to the Access to Work Contract Liaison Point at: ATWPROVIDER.CONTRACTCORRESPONDENCE@DWP.GOV.UK
5.15. Failure to ensure the PRaP referral has been received could adversely affect your payments and performance. Also you should not be assessing customers before a referral is received.
5.16. There are no programme-specific PRaP actions for Access to Work.
5.17. The Oracle User Productivity Kit (UPK) is accessed via the ‘Help’ function within PRaP. UPK should be used in conjunction with this guidance to ensure accurate and timely input.
5.18. The job details screen must be completed prior to recording certain activities, including input against all job outcome lines. Instructions on how to complete the job details screen can be found within the Oracle User Productivity Kit (UPK) under topic ‘Provider Manage Outcomes’, with the relevant recordings being ‘Enter Job Details’, ‘Update Job Details’, View Job Details’ and ‘Delete Job Details’.
5.19. The following paragraphs provide information on the actions you need to perform within PRaP.
Provider acknowledges a referral
5.20. Upon receipt of a referral from an Access to Work Advisor, you should access the PRaP system within 1 working day and acknowledge the referral. (Further information regarding the use of the PRaP system can be found in Chapter 2 of this guidance and within the on-line UPK guidance).
Start provision
5.21. The assessment must be arranged within 2 working days of your receipt of the referral (not including weekends or public holidays), to meet your Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and the start date must be recorded in PRaP.
5.22. The AtW start has three options. These are:
- a start when a suitable appointment with the customer has been made
- did not attend (DNA) when you cannot contact a customer
- did not start (DNS) when you cancel the meeting with the customer
5.23. You are required to input dates into PRaP to confirm the start. These are:
- a unique reference - this is something to easily identify this Advance Shipping Notice (ASN) to you. It could be a reference which relates directly to your own system, or something to help you identify this customer. This must not contain a NINO
- date 1: the date you contacted the customer
- date 2: the date of your PRaP input
5.24 The following lines are available to be claimed for either a Face to Face or Virtual Holistic Assessment:
- ATW001 – ATW Start
- ATW002 – ATW Holistic Assessment payment
- ATW003 – Referral End
- ATW004 – ATW Re-work MI Only line
Customer on incorrect opportunity type
Referral has not been acknowledged in PRaP
5.25. If you identify that the customer is on the wrong opportunity type and you haven’t acknowledged the referral, you must reject the entire order and record a reason.
5.26. Select the ‘Reject Entire Order’ button and select the rejection reason ‘Inappropriate Referral’.
5.27. When you have selected a rejection reason this will close the referral in PRaP and Find and Refer or LMS will be updated with the reason. You should contact the Access to Work Adviser to request a new referral to the correct opportunity type.
Referral has been acknowledged, line 1 (Start) has not been claimed
5.28. If you discover that the customer is on the wrong opportunity type and have acknowledged the referral (but haven’t yet claimed a Start (line 1)) you should select the ‘Request Cancellation’ button, then select the rejection reason ‘No Contact’.
5.29. When you have selected a cancellation reason this will close the referral in PRaP and Find and Refer or LMS will be updated with the reason. You should contact the Access to Work Adviser to request a new referral to the correct opportunity.
Acknowledgment and start have been recorded in PRaP
5.30. If you discover that the customer is on the incorrect opportunity type after you have acknowledged the referral and claimed a Start (line 1) you must claim an end of Provision line (Line 3) and record the appropriate leaver reason - code 42- Referred to Other Suitable Provision. You should contact the Access to Work Adviser to request a new referral to the correct opportunity.
Use of Form PRaP 14
5.31. The PRaP 14 form is used to request the removal of incorrect data from PRaP. Guidance notes for completion are held on the form.
5.32. The PRaP 14 form can be used when you have claimed a line incorrectly, for example, if you have recorded the dates on the start line incorrectly. If you have made a claim to any of the lines and you have made a mistake, you must complete the PRaP 14 form and email a copy to the AtW Policy inbox atwproviderguidance.policy@dwp.gov.uk.
5.33. The AtW Policy team will then consider your request and you will be notified of the outcome. We may need to gather further information to enable your request to be processed. If the PRaP 14 request is agreed, it will be sent to the PRaP Operational Support Team (POST) prap.support@dwp.gov.uk. The POST team will then take action to remove the incorrect date(s) enabling you to input the correct ones, if required.
5.34. You must not use the PRaP 14 process if the customer has been placed on the wrong Access to Work opportunity type. If a customer has been placed on the wrong opportunity you must follow the steps at paragraphs 5.25 to 5.29 of this guidance and contact the Access to Work Adviser to request a new referral to the correct opportunity.
Assessment outcome payment
5.35. Once the Holistic Assessment has been completed to the specified standard the Assessment Outcome Payment can be claimed in PRaP.
5.36. Prior to claiming the Assessment Outcome Payment line, you must compete the Job Details screen:
- employment type, job title, job start date and working pattern fields must be completed. Other fields do not require populating and should be completed with ‘N/A’
- for ‘employment type’ select ‘employed’. If an assessment has been delivered and the assessment outcome has been claimed the End Date must be recorded in PRaP
- for ‘Job Title’ insert the Primary Health Condition
- for ‘Working Pattern’ insert the Primary Health Condition Code
- for “Job Start Date” enter the date the Holistic Assessment was returned
- for “Job End Date” enter the same date as the Job Start date
5.37. You must ensure that the correct opportunity type was selected at the referral stage before you make an outcome claim - either face to face – ‘Face to Face ATW Holistic Assessment’ or virtual – ‘Virtual ATW Holistic Assessment’ as appropriate.
5.38. You will be required to input dates into PRaP to confirm an Assessment Outcome has been delivered:
- a unique reference - this is something to easily identify this Advance Shipping Notice (ASN) to you. It could be a reference which relates directly to your own system, or something to help you identify this customer. This must not contain a NINO
- date 1: the date you returned the Assessment
- date 2: the same date as Date 1
5.39. You must ensure that you only submit claims for payment to which you are entitled. DWP will, to the extent it deems necessary, undertake payment checks on claims to establish their validity. Any erroneous payments made will be recovered.
Referral end date
5.40. The End Date must always be recorded in PRaP even if the Assessment has not been delivered. For example, when a customer arranges an appointment and subsequently cancels it.
5.41 The following End Date information needs to be entered:
- a unique reference: this is something to easily identify this Advance Shipping Notice (ASN) to you. It could be a reference which relates directly to your own system, or something to help you identify this customer. This must not contain an NINO
- date 1: the date the end has been entered into the system
- date 2: the date the end has been entered into the system
-
end reason: the reason the provision has ended
PRaP Leaver Code number Standard End Reason Descriptor ACCESS to WORK END REASON DESCRIPTOR 36 No longer engaging with JCP Cancelled by customer 37 No longer eligible Cancelled by Provider 39 Completed Provision Assessment completed 42 Referred to Other Suitable Provision Customer on wrong opportunity when acknowledgment and start have been claimed
Assessments rework management information (MI) only line
5.42. When Access to Work receive an assessment that is not fit for purpose, or needs rework, this line is used to record the action.
5.43. The following line is available for shipment: Assessment Rework MI Only line.
5.44. This line can be shipped after, before or at the same time as the End Date line.
5.45. Prior to entering the assessment rework MI only line, the job details screen must be completed.
5.46. Complete the Job Details Screen to show the rework has been undertaken.
5.47. Ship the Assessment Rework MI Only line:
- a unique reference: this is something to easily identify this Advance Shipping Notice (ASN) to you. It could be a reference which relates directly to your own system, or something to help you identify this customer. This must not contain an NINO
- date 1: the date rework was requested
- date 2: the date rework was undertaken
- for ‘Job Title’ insert the Primary Health Condition
- for ‘Working Pattern’ insert the Primary Health Condition Code
Special Customer Records
5.48. The majority of claims for payment must be submitted via PRaP. However, where you have a claim for a customer who is granted Special Customer Records (SCR) status (as determined by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) Special Section D) you are required to submit the claim following the SCR clerical claim process. Where DWP identifies that SCR status is not granted the claim will be rejected.
5.49. If a Special Customer Records Customer is identified, please liaise with the Access to Work Business Support Management Team, by e-mail, at ATWPROVIDER.CONTRACTCORRESPONDENCE@DWP.GOV.UK to determine appropriate action.
5.50. The Access to Work Business Support Management Team will then process a clerical payment that mirrors the PRaP automated process. All clerical documents carrying personal information should be retained securely.
Providers can now find annexes A-E of the holistic assessments provider guidance on Jaggaer.