Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what proportion of payments by the Skills Funding Agency under the Apprenticeship Grant for Employers scheme were made within 30 days in each of the last twelve months.

The Skills Funding Agency outlined in their previous response (29 January 2015) that from the day the apprentice reaches 13 weeks of their apprenticeship (the census day for eligibility to AGE), payment can take between 5 weeks and 9 weeks to reach the training provider, dependent on where the 13 week point falls in relation to the next monthly data return to the Skills Funding Agency.

Once the Skills Funding Agency receives data from the provider to confirm eligibility for AGE, payment to the provider is made within 30 days and the Skills Funding Agency has always met this timeline.

Providers are contractually bound to pay the employer their AGE payment within 30 days of receipt of the funds from the Skills Funding Agency.