Statutory guidance

NEA phase 2 memo 11: Unencrypted email use – UCNEA1

Updated 13 January 2023

To	NEA Providers
From	Gordon Ross, Specialist Employment Provision Lead, Design, Change and Business Support, Contracted Health and Employment Services
Action	For PRIME provider information and action
Timing	From Monday 18 November 2019

1. A review of the current New Enterprise Allowance (NEA) process for returning the UCNEA1 form on NEA has taken place.

2. Current guidance states that the UCNEA1 form must be returned by post or fax.

3. Following the review, this requirement has been changed and the UCNEA1 can be sent by unencrypted email, mirroring the process already in place for the NEA1 form.

Summary and action

4. This change aligns the UCNEA1 process with the NEA1 process, and both can now be returned using unencrypted email.

5. Both the UCNEA1 Eng and UCNEA1 Scotwales forms will be updated to remove the requirement of not being able to send these by email. New Enterprise Allowance phase 2 provider guidance has the updated versions of the forms, which can be used from 18 November 2019.

6. NEA provider guidance will be updated in Annex 3 to include the new versions of the forms, along with the following wording:

A3.06 The correct UCNEA1 form must be completed and sent to DWP at relevant points (outlined in this guidance) during the participants NEA journey.

A3.07 At each stage where Jobcentre Plus (JCP) require feedback on the participant’s progress, (for example, the outcome of the initial assessment, feedback for the JCP 12-week review etc.), the UCNEA1 form should be returned via unencrypted e-mail to an e-mail address agreed with your local Jobcentre single point of contact (SPOC).

A3.08 To make an unencrypted UCNEA e-mail you are required to:

• complete the relevant sections of the UCNEA1 form and attach to a blank e-mail
• ensure that the correct recipient address is input (as agreed with the local Jobcentre SPOC)
• ensure the email only contains the following standard content (no other information may be transmitted by email):
  • standard wording to be displayed in email ‘subject box’:
    • UCNEA1 (2017)
    • participant’s surname
    • last 3 characters of the participant National Insurance number, example: ‘UCNEA1 (2017) Smith 78A’
  • standard information to be displayed in e-mail ‘narrative box’:
    • sender contact details
    • UCNEA1 (2017) 01/15 form

A3.09 It is a key security requirement that only one UCNEA1 form is included per email. You cannot, for example, include several UCNEA1 forms for the same or multiple participants in one email.

A3.10 No other documents should be attached to the e-mail (for example action plan or business plan) all relevant information must be recorded on the UCNEA1 itself.

A3.11 In all cases the UCNEA1 form should be returned within 2 working days of a change in participation (for example, business plan assessment, leaver).

7. The above mirrors the existing process that is already in place for the NEA1 form.

8. This change comes into place from Monday 18 November 2019. Until such time as the NEA provider guidance is updated please accept this memo as authorisation to implement this change.

Further information and contact details

9. Please ensure your supply chain is notified of this change and ensure all staff adheres to this updated guidance.

10. If you have any queries about this live running memo please contact your performance manager in the first instance.