[Withdrawn] LR70 provider memo: protected places payments claims, Scotland CPA 1 to 4
Updated 17 January 2019
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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/work-choice-provider-memos-2017/lr70-provider-memo-protected-places-payments-claims-scotland
This memo is for Work Choice providers with supported businesses. It was issued on 3 December 2018.
1. Protected places payments claims, Scotland
Although the Work Choice service in England and Wales continues until 31 March 2019, the Work Choice service in Scotland has now ended. This means that all participants, regardless of Work Choice module, exited the programme on 31 October 2018.
Note, the Work Choice service has ended, but Work Choice contracts remain in place, in Scotland, until Aug 31 2019.
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) provider guidance on exiting participants, applies to all participants who exit the programme for any reason, including Service End.
This means that providers must carry out all the usual exit actions, including ending the participant’s programme attachment in Provider Referrals and Payments (PRaP) and furnishing each participant with a Leaver Report.
As you know, funding for individuals in protected places (PP) with approved supported businesses in Scotland will continue until 31 March 2019. This assurance may be reflected in individual Leaver Reports, if appropriate.
Supported businesses in Scotland can continue to claim PP funding, monthly via their Work Choice prime provider, for each former Work Choice participant who was in post on 31 October, but any specific Work Choice module support ceased with Service End.
Vacant protected places can no longer be filled by Work Choice participants, but supported businesses may choose to recruit new employees (up to the maximum number agreed in the February 2018 PP baseline) to fill those places and apply for support from the Access to Work programme’s new Transitional Employer Support Grant (TESG).
Supported Businesses have received a Memorandum of Understanding from Access to Work detailing the eligibility and process for applications for TESG.
Work Choice primes, or supported businesses in Scotland, who require further information about post-Work Choice TESG support should be directed to Access to Work via accesstowork.policytesg@dwp.gsi.gov.uk.
Note, TESG processes cannot be detailed in a Work Choice live running memo as TESG is a separate funding and support arrangement.
The following action is set out to ensure any potential double funding or overpayment from Work Choice is avoided.
2. Action to take
If, between 1 November 2018 and 31 March 2019, any former Work Choice participant leaves a supported business in Scotland, the prime must contact DWP to declare the protected place vacant and Work Choice protected place funding for that place will cease immediately. There can be no 13-week payment period for an unfilled vacancy (this was time allowed to seek another suitable Work Choice participant, and in Scotland there are now no Work Choice participants).
A vacated protected place must immediately be notified to the Work Choice policy team via the usual email address: disabilityemploymentprovisionpolicy.enquiries@dwp.gsi.gov.uk, as well as indicated on the monthly protected place claim return.
To avoid overpayment, primes must ensure their supported businesses notify them of protected place leavers promptly, and, equally promptly, notify DWP’s Work Choice policy team.
Primes in Contract Packager Areas (CPA) 1 to 4 must ensure their supported businesses are clear that the 5-month extension to protected place funding in Scotland is not an extension to the Work Choice programme. Any overpayment will be recouped.
As noted above, supported businesses may choose to recruit new, non-Work Choice, employees to fill their vacant protected places and apply for support from the Access to Work programme’s TESG.
The Work Choice protected places return has been updated to incorporate a column to list new employees supported by TESG. This updated return will shortly be published in the Work Choice provider guidance.
When a new recruit, with funding support from the TESG, is allocated into a vacant (former) Work Choice protected place, primes must inform the Work Choice policy team via the updated protected places return and by email to the Work Choice policy team: disabilityemploymentprovisionpolicy.enquiries@dwp.gsi.gov.uk.
Copy this email to: accesstowork.policytesg@dwp.gsi.gov.uk.
Any ongoing Work Choice protected place payments will cease if an employee with TESG funding fills that place.
3. Further information and contact details
Further information or queries in respect of Work Choice payments may be directed either to your performance manager, or to the Work Choice policy team via the usual email inbox: disabilityemploymentprovisionpolicy.enquiries@dwp.gsi.gov.uk.
Further information or queries about TESG or post-Work Choice Access to Work support may be directed to: accesstowork.policytesg@dwp.gsi.gov.uk.