diff --git a/app/forms/journeys/early_years_payment/practitioner/find_reference_form.rb b/app/forms/journeys/early_years_payment/practitioner/find_reference_form.rb
index cb61f3d9e9..9a7fe74319 100644
--- a/app/forms/journeys/early_years_payment/practitioner/find_reference_form.rb
+++ b/app/forms/journeys/early_years_payment/practitioner/find_reference_form.rb
@@ -11,7 +11,10 @@ class FindReferenceForm < Form
         def save
           return false if invalid?
 
-          journey_session.answers.assign_attributes(reference_number:)
+          journey_session.answers.assign_attributes(
+            reference_number:,
+            start_email: email,
+          )
           journey_session.save!
         end
 
diff --git a/app/models/journeys/early_years_payment/practitioner/session_answers.rb b/app/models/journeys/early_years_payment/practitioner/session_answers.rb
index 8a9cd43c15..4e96aefd5e 100644
--- a/app/models/journeys/early_years_payment/practitioner/session_answers.rb
+++ b/app/models/journeys/early_years_payment/practitioner/session_answers.rb
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ module EarlyYearsPayment
     module Practitioner
       class SessionAnswers < Journeys::SessionAnswers
         attribute :reference_number, :string
+        attribute :start_email, :string
 
         def policy
           Policies::EarlyYearsPayments
diff --git a/app/views/early_years_payment/practitioner/claims/find_reference.html.erb b/app/views/early_years_payment/practitioner/claims/find_reference.html.erb
index 0b1baa624b..af53199a42 100644
--- a/app/views/early_years_payment/practitioner/claims/find_reference.html.erb
+++ b/app/views/early_years_payment/practitioner/claims/find_reference.html.erb
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
     <%= form_with model: @form, url: claim_path(current_journey_routing_name, request.query_parameters), method: :patch, builder: GOVUKDesignSystemFormBuilder::FormBuilder, html: { novalidate: false } do |f| %>
       <%= f.govuk_error_summary %>
 
-      <%= f.hidden_field :email, value: params[:email] %>
+      <%= f.hidden_field :email, value: (params[:email] || journey_session.answers.attributes["start_email"]) %>
 
       <h1 class="govuk-heading-l">
         <%= @form.t(:question) %>
diff --git a/spec/features/early_years_payment/practitioner/find_reference_spec.rb b/spec/features/early_years_payment/practitioner/find_reference_spec.rb
index c194250736..3fcce0a04c 100644
--- a/spec/features/early_years_payment/practitioner/find_reference_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/features/early_years_payment/practitioner/find_reference_spec.rb
@@ -34,5 +34,11 @@
     click_button "Submit"
 
     expect(page).to have_content "Sign in with GOV.UK One Login"
+    click_link "Back"
+
+    expect(page).to have_content "Track your application"
+    fill_in "Claim reference number", with: claim.reference
+    click_button "Submit"
+    expect(page).to have_content "Sign in with GOV.UK One Login"
   end
 end