Statutory guidance

NEA phase 2 memo 24: Erasing participants records

Updated 13 January 2023

To	NEA Providers
From	Gordon Ross, Specialist Employment Provision Lead, Design and Change Division, Contracted Health and Employment Services
Action	For PRIME provider information and action
Timing	Immediate

Dear Provider

The COVID-19 New Enterprise Allowance (NEA) Phase 2 provider guidance is being updated to provide information on the correct action to take if a Participant request that you to erase their records.

• upon receipt of the request you should acknowledge the request from the Participant and issue a holding response immediately detailing that the query will be responded to within one month
• you should then forward the response email (including a letter or communication from yourself) to the Data Protection Office, email address: data.protectionofficer@dwp.gov.uk and copy in the NEA enquiry inbox, email address: cepspecialist.provisionenquiries@dwp.gov.uk
• you will receive a generic email containing a reference number and the actions that you should take from the Data Protection Office (DPO) team. The reference number must be used with all correspondence with the DPO team
• before responding to the Participant, you should consider the following:
  • details can be erased for participants who did not attend the Initial Assessment
  • if the Participant has started the interventions or attended the Initial Assessment and was not accepted or did not want to be on the programme, their information would be kept for audit and payment purposes
• once you have considered the Participants progress within the programme, and you agree to the erasure of the customer’s personal information, you must either issue the accepted letter NEA RTE Acc ENG for Participants in England, NEA RTE Acc SCOTWALES for Participants in Scotland and Wales or you must respond with your own communication
• you should then forward the response email (including letter or communication from yourself) with the reference number to the Data Protection Office, email address: data.protectionofficer@dwp.gov.uk and copy in the NEA enquiry inbox, email address: cepspecialist.provisionenquiries@dwp.gov.uk
• all responses must be issued within one month of receipt of the request from the customer and must contain the reference number supplied to you
• if when considering the Participants progress within the programme you cannot erase their information you must either issue the rejection letter NEA RTE Rej ENG for Participants in England, NEA RTE Rej SCOTWALES for Participants in Scotland and Wales or you must respond with your own communication
• you must forward the response email (including the letter or communication from yourself) with the reference number to the Data Protection Office. email address: data.protectionofficer@dwp.gov.uk and send a copy to the NEA enquiry inbox, email address: cepspecialist.provisionenquiries@dwp.gov.uk
• all responses must be issued within one month of receipt of the request from the Participant and must contain the reference number supplied

Summary and action

NEA Phase 2 COVID-19 Provider Guidance will be updated and will be published on the GOV.UK provider guidance website shortly.

Please note that due to publishing requirements the published version may look slightly different to the attached version, however the content will be unchanged.

Please ensure your supply chain is notified of the most recent guidance and ensure all staff adheres to the latest version.

Further information and contact details

If you have any queries about this Live Running Memo please contact your Performance Manager in the first instance.