After adding Client, Provider, and Policy information to an LoA request and presenting the LoA to the client the adviser collates authorisation evidence for all parties to the request. For each signatory, either a digital authorisation or a signature is required. Across the LoA in its entirety there may be a combination of digital authorisation(s) and/or wet signature(s) collected.
Capture Signatures Page:
Each signatory must authorise any LoA that they are associated with. Adviser users will upload scans of wet signatures they have obtained via client specific upload button(s) on the Signatures and
Authorisations page. There are a few points to note around this…
- Signature forms can either be downloaded from the ULoA service or the Adviser may use their own signature forms.
- Only one signature form is signed by each signatory before being scanned and uploaded.
- Signature scan files must be no bigger than 2Mb (or the upload will fail).
- Signature scans are shared with all Providers the signatory is associated with in this request.
- Where the Adviser’s own signature form is used, care must be taken to ensure client data that is specific to one Provider is not disclosed to another.
- Signature scan files will be scanned for viruses to help mitigate the risk but responsibility for ensuring that files are free from viruses and malware sits with users of the service. ULoA requests cannot be submitted while a file upload is still being scanned for viruses. If a user navigates to the Review page and attempts to submit while scanning is incomplete a warning is displayed.
If the wrong form/document is uploaded in error, repeat the process using the correct button and form which will over-ride the earlier upload. Alternatively, use the delete icon to the right of the authorisation to delete a document before uploading a replacement.
Digital Authorisation Availability
Digital authorisation is desirable for both Adviser Firms and Providers. This is because it is inherently more efficient as it eliminates the need for printing and scanning of signature forms and potential logistical delays and costs associated with sending forms to clients for signing.
However, Digital Authorisation is not available for all signatories associated with ULoA requests. The following rules will determine whether the Digital Authorisation button is enabled for a particular signatory.
Digital Authorisation will only be enabled if the following conditions are all true:
- All Providers associated with the signatory subscribe to the service;
- All Providers associated with the signatory accept Digital Authorisation;
- All Policy requests for subscribing Providers associated with the signatory are for product types that the administering Provider accepts digital requests for;
- A valid email address has been captured for the signatory;
- A valid mobile number has been captured for the signatory.
Where a request has been digitally authorised, the adviser is presented with a summary of the authorisation process.
Where Digital Authorisation is not possible the client’s authorisation must be obtained by capturing and uploading a scan of their wet signature. Use the service to download and print a personalised Wet Signature form for each signatory before capturing their signature, scanning the signed form, and uploading it to ULoA using the upload button for that specific signatory. It is critical that the correct Print Form and Upload buttons are used because this will ensure that the authorisation evidence is correctly linked to the signatory and only shared with the appropriate Provider(s).
Printing a Signatory Form (PDF)
Wet signatures will be required most frequently where one or more Providers administering policies for the client do not yet subscribe to ULoA or where a Provider on the request does not yet accept Digital Authorisation.
Where required, ULoA is used to generate a PDF form for each individual signatory to the LoA Request. Each form includes a unique request reference and a declaration for the signatory that is tailored to their role in relation to the request. i.e. Client, Joint holder / signatory or Trustee
In the Obtain Signatures step, a user at the Adviser firm will generate a signature form using the Download button. After reviewing the form together with the complete ULoA, the signatory will sign and date the final page Once signed, the page (only the signed page) will then be scanned by the Adviser firm or signatory (outside of ULoA) before uploading the scan file to the service using the Upload button for the specific signatory.After uploading, the scanned signature file will appear, listed beside the signatory name, and can be reviewed by clicking the file name / link.
Given the ability to save a partially completed request and to return to the Draft Request later this does not all have to be done in one operation.