Delay Repay Administration and Claims Processing Services

The services are currently provided by First Customer Contact Limited (FCC) under existing arrangements that support SWR's operational delivery of Delay Repay obligations.

SWR is implementing a temporary bridging arrangement pending deployment of a future industry-wide centralised Delay Repay solution. The bridging arrangement (contract) will contain provisions permitting early termination by SWR to ensure SWR can transition to the future industry solution as it becomes available.

FCC currently operates the established interfaces, workflows, processing logic, historic claims data environment, customer communication channels and operational processes supporting SWR's Delay Repay obligations and is uniquely positioned to maintain continuity whilst supporting migration to the future national solution.

Introduction of an alternative supplier for the interim period would require migration of live claims processing activities and historic claims data, reconfiguration and integration of operational interfaces and payment processes, implementation of revised customer communication arrangements, operational training, and extensive testing and assurance before service commencement. SWR estimates that these activities would require a mobilisation period of approximately 6 months and would introduce material technical and operational risks to the continuity of Delay Repay services during the transitional period.

SWR has considered whether there are reasonable alternative means of meeting the requirement. Given the temporary nature of the requirement, the existing technical and operational dependencies, and the anticipated migration to the future industry-wide centralised Delay Repay solution, SWR considers that establishing an alternative interim technical and operational solution would require substantial integration and migration activity only for that solution subsequently to be replaced by the national solution. SWR has therefore concluded that there is no reasonable alternative capable of meeting the requirement within the necessary timeframe while maintaining continuity of the existing Delay Repay service.