Final funding claims user guide
Updated 8 October 2025
Applies to England
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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/sfa-funding-claims/final-funding-claims-user-guide
Introduction
The aim of this document is to:
- provide an overview of the funding claims process
- provide detailed key user functionality
- demonstrate key areas of the system
- identify where and who to go for further help and support
It covers the following:
- how to make a funding claim
- filling in the form
- how to submit your claim
- reports
- help and support
How to make a funding claim
To get started:
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Go to Submit learner data.
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Sign into the service using your usual DfE Sign-in log in details.
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Choose ‘funding claims: submit funding claims’ from the options on screen as highlighted in figure 1.
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You will be taken to a summary page. If a funding claim is due, you will see a green button labelled ‘review and edit’ as highlighted in figure 2. Select that button to get started.
Figure 1: an example of how to access funding claims
An example of how to access funding claims
Figure 2: an example showing submissions and claim dates
An example showing submissions and claim dates
Filling in the form
Providers delivering 16 to 19 education now only need to sign off their final funding claims for their 16 to 19 section. Therefore, the final funding claim form on Submit learner data is only for adult delivery.
Changes that have been made from 2023 to 2024:
- ESFA funded adult skills fund (ASF) has replaced ESFA funded adult education budget (AEB)
- tailored learning has replaced community learning
- ESFA funded 19 to 24 traineeships (grant funded) section has been removed in the claim to reflect that delivery completed in 2023 to 2024
Project Simplification providers will receive separate guidance on how to complete the final mid-year funding claim.
In your final funding claim, you only need to agree the figures. We will use your individualised learner record (ILR) and, if applicable, your earnings adjustment statement (EAS) data to pre-populate your actual delivery figures.
For the deliverable lines that are non-formula funded, such as ‘ESFA ASF of which tailored learning’, you will need to enter your actual delivery from your own records as these are not pre-populated from your ILR/EAS data submissions.
Contract for services funded providers do not have to submit a claim for learner support delivery as this can now be claimed through EAS.
If you include any exceptional adjustments in your final funding claim, you must send supporting evidence within 5 working days. Please submit your evidence via the customer help portal, and clearly state that it relates to your 2024 to 2025 final funding claim.
What to include in your evidence
You need to provide the following evidence:
Why the adjustment was needed, explaining the issue and why you made the adjustment.
Proof of the error and its impact. Include learner-level details like:
- Unique Learner Number (ULN) or student reference numbers
- cost and/or spending details to support your claim
Do not include personal data (such as names, dates of birth, addresses) to comply with GDPR.
Provide any extra information that supports your case.
Include confirmation of authorisation and confirm whether you had approval to include the adjustment.
As explained in the 2024 to 2025 funding claims guidance, you must only use the ‘exceptional adjustments’ column in the final claim to make changes if you’ve agreed an exceptional adjustment with us beforehand. You must also retain relevant evidence as we may need to validate your claim. Any unauthorised exceptional adjustments will not be included in your delivery figures.
Important
If your evidence is not sent within 5 working days, your adjustment will be removed and will not appear in your final reconciliation statement.
You can save the form to complete later at any time.
Examples
Figure 3a: a funding claims form example for adult skills fund (ASF)
A funding claims form example for adult skills fund (ASF)
A funding claims form example for adult skills fund (ASF)
See figure 3b for an advanced learner loans bursary (ALLB) example of the claim form.
Figure 3b: funding claims form – advanced learner loans bursary (ALLB) example
An example of a funding claims form for advanced learner loans bursary (ALLB)
You can save the form using the buttons at the bottom of the form.
Errors
You will not be able to submit a form until it is clear of errors. Errors will appear in red on the form where the problem is, as shown in figure 4. The wording in red will explain what the error is.
Figure 4: an example showing errors that stop you from submitting your form
An example showing errors that stop you from submitting your form
An example showing errors that stop you from submitting your form
An example showing errors that stop you from submitting your form
How to submit your claim
When you are satisfied with the figures on the form, select ‘save and continue’.
If the system detects anomalies, it will prompt you to review the data. You can choose to go back and edit your form or continue. An example of this prompt is in figure 5. A validation message will be displayed if we were expecting a figure where none is given.
Figure 5: a validation message example
An example of a validation message
If you continue with your form, you will see the ‘submitting evidence for exceptional adjustments’ page, which you must read and action if you submit any exceptional adjustments.
If you do not need to submit an exceptional adjustment, you can ignore this page. Once you have read this page, please select ‘continue’ to advance to the next page.
Figure 6: submitting evidence for exceptional adjustments
An example of the 'submitting evidence for exceptional adjustments' page
Confirmation of authorisation
If you continue with your form, you will see a declaration which you need to read and agree to. Tick the check box to agree and then select ‘confirm and submit’, as highlighted in figure 7.
Figure 7: a declaration example
An example of declaration
You will receive a confirmation message and an explanation of what happens next, demonstrated in figure 8.
Once you have submitted your funding claims on Submit learner data, you will be able to view it on manage your education and skills funding within 15 minutes.
Figure 8: the confirmation example
Confirmation example
Submission reports
We store all your submissions. You can access them any time from the ‘funding claim submissions’ page.
Select ‘view submission’ next to the submission report you want to view. You will then see a page that shows you the data you have previously submitted, such as in figure 9.
Figure 9: how to view your submissions on the ‘your submissions’ page
An example of how to view your submissions on the ‘your submissions’ page
Help and support
For further guidance on how to submit a funding claim, please read the 2024 to 2025 funding claims guidance.
If you need to raise a query, please use our customer help portal.