Section 2 - Eligibility specification
Students Unemployed and NOT in receipt of Benefits
All unemployed Students are fully funded according to WMCA funding rules. However, providers previously were not able to process an unemployed Student unless they were on benefits due to ESFA validation rules.
For all providers who wish to fully fund unemployed Students who are unemployed and not in receipt of benefits (on aims up to and including level 3), the ILR must be coded as follows:
| ILR Name | ILR Code | Mandatory | Notes |
| EMP Stat | 11 or 12 | Y |
Employment Status at the start of the learning aim |
| BSI | null | Y |
Benefit Status Indicator must be left blank or null |
| LSD Postcode | Student Postcode | Y |
Students must have a WMCA postcode |
| Fund model | 35 | Y | |
| SOF | 112 | Y | |
| FFI | 1 | Y |
Fully Fund the aim |
| DAM | 023 | Y |
Prevents validation error |
| DAM | 002 | N |
Required for Procured AEB i.e. All ITP provision and if an activity is part of the Grant Growth Contract award |
By using DAM code 023 providers can fully fund the student without inputting any Benefit Status Indicator.
The ‘Other Funding Adjustment’ field is not required and should be left blank.
Low Wage Pilot (Employed Students) AEB only
For AEB providers with low wage employed students, providers will need to use the following DAM code:
- ‘010 Devolved AEB Low Wage’
The DAM code above is to be used for the students funded by the WMCA.
- FCFJ will not use the same coding – please refer to the FCFJ section.
Where this DAM code is used for employed students, evidenced low wage should satisfy the following conditions:
-
Eligible for Co-Funding (for Entry, Level 1, Level 2 and Level 3) and
-
Earning less than the living wage, and
-
Enrolled on learning up to and including Level 3
he ILR must be coded as follows:
| ILR Name | ILR Code | Mandatory | Notes |
|
EmpStat |
10 | Y |
Employment Status at the start of the learning aim |
| LSD Postcode | Student Postcode | Y |
Students must have a WMCA postcode |
| Fund Model | 35 | Y | |
| SOF | 112 | Y | |
| FFI | 1 | Y | Fully fund the aim |
| DAM | 023 | Y | Prevents Validation Error |
| DAM | 010 | Y |
For Low Wage WMCA Students, use this DAM code |
| DAM | N |
Required for Procured AEB i.e. All ITP provision and if an activity is part of the Grant Growth Contract award |
Using the above combination will allow providers to fully fund the student as part of the low-wage pilot, without the need to calculate ‘OtherFundAdj’ i.e., OtherFundAdj’ should be left blank.
For low-waged Students DAM code, 023 must be used alongside 010. DAM code 023 will switch off the validation rules and DAM code 010 will identify it as a low waged Student. If the provider does not use DAM code 023, then the method described in the above table will not work.
If the provider is funding a Level 3 aim under Low Wage Pilot, the aim must be included on the Level 3 Entitlement list published by the ESFA and be the student’s first full level 3 qualification.
Low wage ILR coding should not be used if an activity is covered under legal entitlement (English, Math or 19-23 First Full L2/L3)
Resident is Unemployed, aged 24+ and studying their First Full Level 3
The WMCA will be fully funding those Students who are aged 24 or over, and either unemployed or employed and are studying their first full level 3.
The following conditions apply:
- Aged 24 or over at the start of the aim
- Have an employment status of 10, 11 or 12
- The student has not studied a full level 3 or higher previously
- The Level 3 aim must be on the Entitlement list published by the ESFA
- The ILR must be coded as followed:
| ILR Name | ILR Code | Mandatory | Notes |
| PriorAttain | 9, 7, 1, 99, 2 | Y |
Entry, Other qualifications below level 1, Level 1, No Qualifications, Level 2 |
| LSD Postcode | Student Postcode | Y |
Students must have a WMCA postcode |
| EMP Stat | 10, 11 or 12 | Y |
Employment Status at the start of the learning aim |
| Fund Model | 35 | Y | |
| SOF | 112 | Y | |
| DAM | 002 | N |
Required for Procured AEB i.e. All ITP provision and if an activity is part of the Grant Growth Contract award |
| DAM | 023 | Y |
Prevents validation error |
| DAM | 045 | Y |
Show co-wavier approval |
Providers previously were not able to process an unemployed Student unless they were on benefits due to ESFA validation rules. By using DAM code 023 providers can fully fund the student and not input any Benefit Status Indicator.
The ‘Other Funding Adjustment’ field is no longer required. Providers are expected to remove this from each Student i.e., ‘OtherFundAdj’ should now be left blank
Level 3 Flexibility
For 22/23 level 3 aims delivered outside legal entitlement as part of the Level 3 flexibility should be coded as follows:
| ILR Name | ILR Code | Mandatory | Notes |
| LSD Postcode | Student Postcode | Y | Students must have a WMCA Postcode |
| Fundmodel | 35 | Y | |
| SOF | 112 | Y | |
| FFI | 1 | Y | Fully fund the aim |
| Other Fund Adj | xxx | N |
Depending on the proportion agreed to be funded (25, 50 or 75) |
| DAM | 023 | Y |
Prevents validation error |
| DAM | 002 | N |
Required for Procured AEB i.e. All ITP provision and if an activity is part of the Grant Growth Contract award |
**Please note that the student must first be assessed to see if they can exercise their legal entitlement at level 3**
The only aims that can be delivered as part of level 3 flexibilities are those that the provider has had explicit written permission from the WMCA. Please ensure that you are aware of this, as the provider may not be funded for aims that are not pre-approved.
Within this approval process, providers will be told the amount of funding they will get for that aim depending on what has been agreed. The WMCA will state whether this is 25%, 50%, 75% or 100% of an aim value. Other than 100%, the amount agreed will need to go in the ‘Other Fund Adj’ field in the ILR.
The restriction on employment status has been lifted and there is no limitation to whether you wish to enrol an employed or unemployed Student to a level 3 flexibilities learning aim.
If the provider is delivering learning or training at level 3 that does not currently have a LARS code with an applicable Adult Skills funding rate, then the provider will need to contact WMCA (AEBDataReturns@wmca.org.uk). We will work with the ESFA to ask for a new LARS code to be generated and made available for use, but please note this could take up to a month to be created.
Level 4 and Level 5 Flexibility
For 22/23 level 4 or level 5 aims, the ILR must be coded as followed:
| ILR Name | ILR Code | Mandatory | Notes |
| LSD Postcode | Student Postcode | Y | Students must have a WMCA Postcode |
| FundModel | 35 | Y | |
| SOF | 112 | Y | |
| FFI | 1 | Y |
Fully Fund the aim |
| Other Fund Adj | xxx | N |
Depending on the proportion agreed to be funded (25, 50 or 75) |
| DAM | 023 | Y |
Prevents validation error |
| DAM | 002 | N |
Required for Procured AEB i.e. All ITP provision and if an activity is part of the Grant Growth Contract award |
The only aims that can be delivered at level 4 or level 5 are those that the provider has had explicit written permission from the WMCA. Please ensure that you are aware of this, as the provider may not be funded for aims that are not pre- approved.
Within this approval process, providers will be told the amount of funding they will get for that aim depending on what has been agreed. The WMCA will state whether this is 25%, 50%, 75% or 100% of an aim value. Other than 100%, the amount agreed will need to go in the ‘OtherFundAdj’ field in the ILR.
There is no limitation to whether you wish to enrol an employed or unemployed Student to a level 4 or level 5 learning aim. However, this will be agreed upon as part of WMCA’s business case application and upon written approval from WMCA.
If the provider is delivering learning or training at level 4 or level 5 that does not currently have a LARS code with an applicable Adult Skills funding rate, then the provider will need to contact WMCA. The WMCA will work with the ESFA to ask for a new LARS code to be generated and made available for use.
WMCA level 3+ and approved flexibilities
For clear tracking of flexibilities, WMCA has introduced 2 new DAM codes as listed below.
The ILR will need to be returned with the following details if you are adjusting the funding status and/or using category 47 Mayoral Combined Authorities (MCA) and Greater London Authority (GLA) Provision
| Code | 045 |
| Title | Co-funded fee waived |
| Description |
Use where the collection of the non-government contribution to a co-funded learning aim is waived by WMCA and the provider by applying the approved WMCA flex to apply full funding to residents who are 24+ and taking their first full Level 3 (National policy legal entitlement) |
| Code | 063 |
| Title |
Local approved flexibilities |
| Description |
Use where the collection of the non-government or Student contribution for learning aims is waived by the managing authority and the provider has WMCA approval of requested flexibility to allow providers to full/partial funding qualification that would previously have been co-funded, or Student loan funded. |
| Audit |
Please ensure where you are using this code you have written approval for audit purposes. |
DAM code 043 – Capping Factor Exemption
For the 22/23 academic year, the WMCA has introduced a new DAM code that will remove the capping factor funding rate.
Based upon the ESFA funding rules a funding cap applies to each Student, and it applies across all adult skills budget provisions except apprenticeships. The funding cap is £4,400 per Student per year before any weightings or government contribution calculations are applied.
For the WMCA to fund Students for more than £4,400 per year, DAM code 043 will need to be used. This will be applied against each learning aim that the provider wishes to remove the £4,400 cap for. This code must only be used with explicit written permission from the WMCA. If the provider feels as though they need to use DAM 043 then please contact the WMCA with justification for this.