Future start dates in ILR

We've ran into this issue for a number of years. The only thing you can do is remove the Apprentice from the ILR until the start date is not in the future..

Hi Richard

Thanks for your reply. This is concerning as, during a recent Apprenticeship Service webinar, it was made very clear that future start dates could be submitted in the ILR. With the removal of the option to manually add apprentices's details to TAS happening soon, we will have no choice but to enter learners in the ILR who have not started yet. But if these learners are going to error, they won't be available to select to add their details in TAS. Waiting until the learners have started before we gain employer approval is too late. 

Is anyone having any success in adding apprentices in the ILR with future start dates?

Hi, you say: they all erroring with this error message "Apprenticeship financial record date' is wrong. It can't be after the file preparation date''

That would indicate it is a financial record, e.g. a TNP/PMR, that is the issue rather than a start date. I don't think financial records can be in the future as they only record payments that have been made or agreed. If you have the exact error rule code it will be easier to identify the problem.

Further edit! Just realised the validation rules for 25/26 aren't available yet so I may be looking at old rules...

Hi Timmo

The error code is AFinDate_03. There was an update to the 25/26 Validation rules on the 13th August:
ILR_Validation_Rules_2025_26_Version_2.xlsx

You're right, the issue is with the TNP record rather than the start date of the learning aims but in order for the apprentice to appear in the ILR, we need a TNP record. Interestingly though, we've just run the error report again and the error has disappeared! 

Hi Helen Bryant . Yes that's the rule I was thinking of and it still seems to be active and an error. I see the issue but wondering if whoever did the AS webinar was fully aware of the ILR validation requirements. They would need to have two rules for AFinType, one for TNP and another for PMR.

The more I think about it the less likely it seems. From the Provider Support Manual 'Learning start date. This should reflect reality, for example, record the date when the specific aim starts.' I don't see how a future start date can ever reflect reality? Would be quite a big deal to change this.

I'm wondering that too, whether the AS team know about the ILR validation rules. But, for now, the errors have disappeared so we'll see what happens. Thanks for your input Timmo.

Timmo I couldn't find the 25/26 validation rules, but that's because they're not in the Validation Rules section, they're in the Appendices. The Validation Rules will just be web access info, but I never used that for 24/25 because the search function was not good. The spreadsheet has always been fine.

I'm speaking to someone at DfE about adjusting this rule to allow us to submit Apprenticeships a bit early in the ILR. It never mattered before because we just got the cohorts set up whenever we wanted. Not allowing us to add the cohorts until after the start date if we want to use this great new feature, does feel too late. I know we can set up reservations in advance.

Also, if they take away the option to add cohorts individually, will that be from employers too? At the moment, to set up a cohort for a student who is being funded through a levy transfer, only the employer can do that, the provider is physically unable to start it. I strongly suspect we won't be able to pick up an ILR record at the moment and record that accurately as a levy transfer.

Ruth Canham-James - the guidance that's appeared on our TAS account doesn't mention anything about employers not being able to set up cohorts. I guess if an employer doesn't want to give us permission to set up the cohort on their behalf, then they still need an option to do it themselves. And, as you say, when a levy transfer is involved, then the only way to do this is for the employer to create the cohort themselves.
Would you mind updating this thread if you hear back from the DfE please regarding the error? Thanks

Ruth Canham-James "I couldn't find the 25/26 validation rules, but that's because they're not in the Validation Rules section" - indeed :~) ! I keep forgetting about that and also that the csv download from the validation rules page is not a complete set of the rules either. As you say, you have to go to the appendices for that. The truth is out there.

From DfE's point of view I imagine they are concerned that if people submit an ILR early then they may forget to delete it if they don't start, or not update the start (and various related) details if there is a change in circumstances. That said, the guidance on start date does read "The date on which learning for the learning aim began (accurate to within a week)" (my bold) so maybe that gives a bit of scope?

That's where the Validation rules are?!! Thank you all.

However, you'd think they'd be in the section called "Validation rules"... right?!

Hi Apprenticeship Service Engagement. Thanks for your reply, it's much appreciated.

Apprenticeship Service Engagement it would be good to have definitive guidance on submitting learner records with future start dates please. Current validation rules indicate that a start date can be up to 1 year in the future but the financial record cannot be so the rules are contradictory. If we are moving towards using the ILR to update the AS, we need the ability to do that, which is not the case at the moment and there is a significant manual intervention required to exclude the learners for an error-free submission. 

The rule AFinDate03 has been reduced to a warning from R02 (which opened 12th September) so you can now enter a TNP record with a future date. (A warning gives a message but doesn't prevent the data being loaded). 

Work is underway to implement a new rule which will prevent PMR records with a future date but allow TNP records, when this is implemented AFinDate03 will be removed.

Submit Learner Data Team (DfE) and Apprenticeship Service Engagement - thank you for the update, it's much appreciated. Is there any news on when the option to manually add apprentices to the Apprenticeship Service portal will be removed please?

Thanks

There's no confirned date for this yet. The Apprenticeship Service are monitoring provider uptake of the option to add apprentices via the ILR as we iterate with improvements and allow providers time to adapt. Communications will be issued in advance to notify providers when a decision has been made to remove the manually add option.