EPA Price Change

If your total price was already at band max, you can't really increase TNP 2, as we're not allowed to report anything above band max in our ILR any more (no idea why). That then means you're not reporting a true assessment price, which is odd. Are we supposed to increase TNP2 and reduce TNP1? There's no guidance on that, but it's likely what I'd do as your assessment price is supposed to match the amount you pay the EPAO.

If your price wasn't at band max, and the increased EPAO price doesn't take you over either, you should just update the TNP2 price (edit existing, or add another, depending on whether the first price was recorded in this academic year). You do then have to update the DAS manually. It should throw a data lock next time you submit an ILR, which you can then just ask the employer to agree, but nothing happens automatically.

Thanks Ruth. I attended a webinar that DfE were running on TNPs so I was able to ask a question of them. They suggested that in my case (at the cap) that I increase TNP 2 and reduce TNP 1 to compensate so the figure on the DAS remains the same. 

It tends to be hit and miss if the price change is flagged on the DAS (on either side). The last time I only got one of three go through (the other 2 I had to speak to the ESFA helpdesk about). I did wonder if it would just be a case of uploading returns until it sees all the changes on the DAS.

Thanks Again

I have a situation where three of my learners who I registered in October 2022 have incurred an EPA increase. Do I simply amend the existing TNP2 or do I need to close it and create another with the new cost attached? 

General guidance can be found here.

You'll want to add a new TNP2 with the renegotiated assessment cost. As Ruth says, this will trigger a DLOCK07 as your ILR will no longer match the Apprenticeship Service, which the employer(s) will have to then go in and accept in order for the change to take effect, clearing the DLOCK the following month.

If, as Matthew has suggested, the change in the TNP2 causes you to go over the funding band maximum for the standard, it seems the advice is that you should then add a reduced the TNP1 to account for this. If the increase in TNP2 doesn't take you over the funding band maximum, you needn't worry about tinkering with TNP1.

Thanks Ben, have made the amendment as within the funding band. 

I assume the DLOCK07 is the error message I am now getting for these three learners which says:

The learner must not have more than one Apprenticeship Financial Record with the same Apprenticeship financial type, code and date

We are the EP for this apprenticeship, so I can go in and amend and then will that mean, it will clear and it will continue as normal?

No, you will get a DLOCK07 error for this learner on your data match report after you next submit your ILR. This explains what each DLOCK means - Data mismatch errors – Apprenticeship Service Support (education.gov.uk). Essentially it will compare your Apprenticeship Service account with the ILR, and in this case it will say "the total negotiated price on the Apprenticeship Service is different from the ILR" - at which point you will need to go into the Apprenticeship Service, find the apprentice, and accept the change. 

What you're getting right now sounds like an R68 error. You'll need to ensure the date you've used for the new TNP2 line is not the same as the original one. The date you use should be the date the price was renegotiated (e.g., today). If this was renegotiated in a previous contract year and you've only just discovered, you should use 01/08/2023 as the date (AFinDate). 

Thank you! All sorted with the exception of accepting the changes in the EP Apprenticeship Service account (not available to access currently).

Will try again tomorrow

So... if you were to reduce the TNP1 to account for an increase in TNP2, would you then be obligated to go back and recalculate RPL discounts and issue contract amendments with revised TNP1 cost breakdowns? (😱)

Victoria Mansfield No, you'd just be artificially reducing the TNP1 because ESFA won't let us record our true prices in the ILR if they're above band max. Your Training price is still the same, it's just not accurately represented in your ILR.

Hi Ruth

I am just following this post as I have a similar issue. Learner changed employer so TNP3 and TNP4 is in the ILR, if we now have to change the assessment price TNP4, it is under funding band max, in this financial year do I add a new TNP3 and TNP4 at the same point when they changed employer originally with the same dates or at the point when the assessment price change happens with new residual costs? How will that work with the AS DAS account, will it not look for date changes there to match? Is there a way we can avoid changing AS account when we have TNP3 and TNP4 values? Also, some learners changed employers in the previous academic year if we enter residual costs say from 1Aug 2024, how will you update DAS?

Desiree Rooker That's a complicated one! Even thought the TNP 3 and 4 are less than the band max, ESFA do tie all the prices together. If your original price was at max, you will still need to reduce the TNP 3 by however much you raise the TNP 4. I'd just do it anyway even if original price wasn't band max. If you just increased TNP 4, you'd get a data lock and the employer would have to approve it, but it's actually a private arrangement if you're going to be collecting money above the band max. Even if it physically let you increase TNP 4 without reducing TNP 3, you're still not getting any more funding.

Thanks for the reply, Ruth

The ESFA recommended this:

When adding new TNP3 and TNP4 prices at a later date - you must remember this is a residual cost from the new date that the costs are being added. Where leaners changed employers in the previous funding year, to then record a change in TNP3 and TNP 4 to reflect an increase in EPA assessment costs - you would need to add a new TNP3 and TNP4 residual cost dated in the current funding year. You will then need to use the Data mismatch process to update the agreed cost on the Apprenticeship Service record.

I understand matching the data lock. My question with this is if you add a new date against the TNP3 and TNP 4, in the ILR, at the point when the EPA price changed, other than trying to match the changes in pricing will it not look in the AS employer account for a date that matches that change as well in the AS account against the employer. How would you get around that?

It doesn't really match like that. It completely fine to renegotiate prices at any point, even if there was never a change or employer, and you just add a new TNP record with the new price, and there doesn't have to be a new employment history. If there happens to have already been a change or employer, the difference is simply that you'd add a new TNP3/4 rather than TNP 1/2.

Perfect thank you