Guidance

Provider memo 08: Process to end the Real Time Earnings feed for inappropriate and duplicate referrals to the Work and Health Programme

Updated 4 April 2024

This memo is for Work and Health Programme Providers.

Date: 28 February 2019

Action: For information and action

Timing: Immediate

Background

Real Time Earnings (RTE) feed was introduced to support the automated tracking of customer’s earnings from point of referral. The tracking of a customer’s earnings begins when a start date is entered into the Provider Referral and Payment system (PRaP) and ends when a customer either completes their allocated time on provision, achieves the earnings to achieve a job outcome payment or an end date is input into PRaP.

DWP have identified that if a customer is inappropriately referred or a duplicate referral is sent and the referral feed has been backed out, the RTE feed continues to track the customer’s earnings even though they have been removed from the programme. This impacts on any future referrals and tracking of earnings.

LRM 05 ‘Process for inappropriate referrals’ outlines the process for identifying inappropriate referrals and the action that should be taken under these circumstances. In addition to LRM 05 this memo confirms the process and gives additional steps and new reason codes that should be used to close down the referral and the RTE feed.

Summary and action

In addition to the steps outlined in the provider guidance and LRM 05 we have introduced additional steps which include inputting an end date into PRaP and additional new reason codes. These steps, reason codes and cancellation action should be completed when an inappropriate or duplicate referral is identified.

The following information will shortly be included in the provider guidance. With immediate effect, you should follow the processes detailed below if you identify or are notified by Jobcentre Plus of an inappropriate or duplicate referral.

Actions that should be taken when a customer is already participating in a DWP funded programme or is employed prior to referral

A customer may be incorrectly referred to you when the customer is:

• already taking part in a DWP funded provision
• already in employment prior to referral

You will be required to take the most appropriate action to rectify the error and close down the referral and the RTE Feed. The action you take in the PRaP will depend on the status of the referral:

• where the error is discovered before the customer has started on the programme, you are required to reject the referral in PRaP recording the rejection reason of ‘Other’ – and signpost the customer back to Jobcentre Plus
• where the error is discovered after the customer has started on the programme, you should complete a PRaP14 which should be sent to the PRaP Operational Support Team (POST) email prap.support@dwp.gsi.gov.uk
• DWP will consider the request and if rejected will notify you so you can continue to work with the customer
• should the request be approved POST will inform you via email, and upon receipt you should input an ‘end date’ and ‘reason code 37’ (no longer eligible) into PRaP
• you should then signpost the customer back to Jobcentre Plus
• POST will complete the actions to back the referral out and will contact you via email to notify you that this has been completed
• upon receipt of the email you must promptly cancel the referral in PRaP, recording a cancellation reason of ‘no contact’

Please Note: The end date is the day after the start date.

Actions to take when a customer starts work or has a job offer between referral and start

Should a customer report that they have a job offer or have started employment or self-employment in between referral interview with Jobcentre Plus and engaging with you, you should take the following action, as in these circumstances the customer becomes ineligible for the programme.

Following the notification or identification of the error you are required to take the most appropriate action to close down the referral and the RTE feed. The action you take in PRaP will depend on the status of the referral:

• where the error is discovered before the customer has started on the programme, you are required to reject the referral in PRaP recording a rejection reason of ‘did not attend’ and signpost the customer back to Jobcentre Plus
• where the error is discovered after the customer has started on the programme, you should complete a PRaP14 which should be sent to POST at: prap.support@dwp.gsi.gov.uk
• DWP will consider the request and if rejected will notify you via email so you can continue to work with the customer
• should the request be approved you will be informed via e-mail, upon receipt you should input an ‘end date’ and ‘reason code 1’’ (found work) into PRaP
• you should then signpost the customer back to Jobcentre Plus
• POST will complete the actions to back the referral out and will contact you via email to notify you that this has been completed
• upon receipt of the email you must promptly cancel the referral in PRaP recording a cancellation reason of ‘no contact’

Please Note: The end date is the day after the start date.

Actions to take when you identify a duplicate referral to the Work and Health Programme

Should you be notified that a duplicate referral has been sent for the WHP you should complete the following actions.

You will be required to take the most appropriate action to rectify the error and close down the referral and the RTE Feed. The action you take in the PRaP will depend on the status of the referral:

• where the error is discovered before the customer has started on the programme, you are required to reject the duplicate referral in PRaP recording the rejection reason of ‘other’
• where the error is discovered after the customer has started on the programme, you should complete a PRaP14 which should be sent to the PRaP Operational Support Team (POST) e-mail prap.support@dwp.gsi.gov.uk
• DWP will consider the request and if rejected will notify you via email so you can continue to work with the customer
• should the request be approved you will be informed via e-mail. Upon receipt you should input an ‘end date’ and ‘reason code 10’ (other) into PRaP
• POST will complete the actions to back the referral out and will contact you via email to notify you that this has been completed
• upon receipt of the email you must promptly cancel the referral in PRaP recording a cancellation reason of ‘no contact’

Please Note: The end date is the day after the start date.

The additional steps outlined under the above scenarios will ensure that the RTE feed is closed down and no future referrals will be affected.

Further information contact details

If you have any queries about this memo, please contact: whp.enquiries@dwp.gsi.gov.uk