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Cazz
09-01-2012, 11:34 PM
I've never bothered to do this before - not really sure why!

I don't totally understand how it works but I'm now minding the following and think it may be worth me doing as I'm providing milk for all of them!

12 month old - 3 days a week, has Cow & Gate growing up milk (2 ready to use small bottles a day)

8 month old - 2 half days a week, has SMA follow-on milk (usually has 1 ready to use carton provided by me as he arrives with one that's okay for an hour or so).

2 year old - 1 full day a week, who drinks cows milk (normally a little at snack times)

Does the free milk scheme include the follow-on milk and growing up milk? Do you get milk delivered or do they re-imburse you after you've bought it?

Mouse
09-01-2012, 11:50 PM
If you provide the milk you can claim back the cost of 1/3 pint a day per child. It doesn't include follow on milk and you can't claim it back if the parents provide the milk.

HAve a look at the NMRU website as the info is on there.

http://www.nurserymilk.co.uk/index.html

All you need do is register with the scheme and submit an online claim each month for the amount of milk you have provided. The money is then paid directly into your bank account.

There are agents who will process your claim for you & provide the milk, but you do have to be very careful that the amount they are claiming is correct as you are responsible for any claim made in your name. There has been a report out recently that some agents are claiming a huge amount for the milk they provide, way more than it really costs. That's why I think it's easier (and safer) just to claim the money back yourself.

Cazz
09-01-2012, 11:55 PM
Thanks Mouse - that's really helpful :thumbsup:

I provide all the milk but if I can't claim for the follow-on or the growing up milk then it's probably not worth me bothering with - I'd only have 1 child once a week to claim for!

Pauline
10-01-2012, 07:32 AM
I agree with Mouse, be very careful if you do use an agent, there have been reports of childminders being audited in some areas to check they are not having too much. You don't want to be paying it back or worse still getting in trouble.

There is a thread here which I put on some time ago with more details:

http://childmindinghelp.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=65291

:)

jadavi
10-01-2012, 08:01 AM
I claim 1/3 fullfat normal milk for each child each session whatever they need as we are entitled to it and it's all used one way or another. It works out so little though it doesn't really feel worth the effort. 3 little ones in the morning and 3 in the afternoon only adds up to 2 pints a day which costs something like 46p!

Pauline
10-01-2012, 08:12 AM
I claim 1/3 fullfat normal milk for each child each session whatever they need as we are entitled to it and it's all used one way or another. It works out so little though it doesn't really feel worth the effort. 3 little ones in the morning and 3 in the afternoon only adds up to 2 pints a day which costs something like 46p!

you are only allowed to claim for two 'sessions' if a different child is there at each session. eg. if child a comes all day, he is one session (not two) if child b comes in the morning and is replaced by child c in the afternoon, that is two sessions.

Hope that makes sense. This is where some of the milk agents were getting it wrong, I have spoken to the Nursery Milk people on several occasions to get this fully clarified, if you are in any doubt you can contact them yourself they are extremely helpful :thumbsup:

solly
10-01-2012, 08:57 AM
I use a milk agent and it is easy to register with them and the milk is delivered to my door. They also do the follow on milk as well i think as did look into this but as the parents were happy to provide this I decided to just get the cartoons and the bottle delivered :)

Mouse
10-01-2012, 09:09 AM
The way agents operate is being looked at, so I advise all my cm friends who use the scheme to double check what is being claimed against their name. The NMRU even puts a warning on their site now.

http://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/news/1105373/Nursery-milk-review/?DCMP=ILC-SEARCH

Mouse
10-01-2012, 09:11 AM
Thanks Mouse - that's really helpful :thumbsup:

I provide all the milk but if I can't claim for the follow-on or the growing up milk then it's probably not worth me bothering with - I'd only have 1 child once a week to claim for!

Does the 12 month old still need follow on milk? Couldn't they have full fat?

You don't have to claim monthly, you can leave it a while and claim for several months at a time. I don't claim much back, but if I leave it a while and do several months at once, it soon adds up :thumbsup:

Greengrass74
10-01-2012, 09:41 AM
We also have ours delivered by a milk agent which has the following benefits

• No milk claim paperwork
• Free delivery to our door up to three times per week
• Claim full entitlement of milk without keeping registers
• Organic milk supplied at no extra cost - as recommended by OFSTED.
• Free baby milk

Cazz
10-01-2012, 09:43 AM
Does the 12 month old still need follow on milk? Couldn't they have full fat?

You don't have to claim monthly, you can leave it a while and claim for several months at a time. I don't claim much back, but if I leave it a while and do several months at once, it soon adds up :thumbsup:

Its the 8 month old that has follow on milk. The 12 month old has cow and gate growing up milk but I don't see any reason why he couldn't have cows milk during the short period that he's with me - may be worth asking mum and claiming. The 8 month old will probably go on to cows milk once he's 12 months so I can claim for him then as well.

I didn't realise you could back claim so I may as well do it.

Thanks - I'm glad I asked now!

Cazz
10-01-2012, 09:44 AM
We also have ours delivered by a milk agent which has the following benefits

• No milk claim paperwork
• Free delivery to our door up to three times per week
• Claim full entitlement of milk without keeping registers
• Organic milk supplied at no extra cost - as recommended by OFSTED.
• Free baby milk

What do you mean by free baby milk? Powder or follow-on etc?

Mouse
10-01-2012, 09:59 AM
We also have ours delivered by a milk agent which has the following benefits

• No milk claim paperwork
• Free delivery to our door up to three times per week
• Claim full entitlement of milk without keeping registers
• Organic milk supplied at no extra cost - as recommended by OFSTED.
• Free baby milk

Dave, what you do have to be aware of with any agent is that there IS a paperwork claim, done in your name, you just don't see it or have to do it yourself. Also the "full entitlement" of milk is not always correct (ie. they may claim for the maximum amount of children you are registered for and for 2 sessions a day). You do need to keep your registers, as required by Ofsted anyway, because if NMRU want proof that you are claiming the correct amount, YOU will have to prove that you have the correct number of children attending each day.

NMRU are looking into the way agents run their schemes and at the end of the day, you are responsible for any claim made in your name. This is what it says on their website:

The Nursery Milk scheme is administered by the Department of Health in England and on behalf of the devolved administrations in Scotland and Wales.

The scheme is administered wholly by the Nursery Milk Reimbursement Unit. The Department of Health does not endorse or partner with any individual agents or milk suppliers to deliver the scheme. Nor does it fund any customer rewards they may choose to offer to daycare providers participating in the Nursery Milk Scheme (such as free equipment, or other foodstuffs).

It is the legal responsibility of providers receiving milk through the Nursery Milk scheme to ensure claims for payment they make to the Nursery Milk Reimbursement Unit, or which are made on their behalf by an agent, are accurate and within the rules of the scheme. We recommend that all providers check and retain receipts and invoices for milk they have received, as we may request them if we have a question about an individual claim

Cazz
10-01-2012, 10:03 AM
I think I'll go with the re-imbursement one anyway.

What would happen if you receive your milk but a child is off sick? At least claiming afterwards you can use your register and ensure you only claim for what was actually used.

If you claim re-imbursement do you have to buy the milk and keep the receipts for it? I saw something about receipts on the website - do they ask you to send them?

Greengrass74
10-01-2012, 10:06 AM
Dave, what you do have to be aware of with any agent is that there IS a paperwork claim, done in your name, you just don't see it or have to do it yourself. Also the "full entitlement" of milk is not always correct (ie. they may claim for the maximum amount of children you are registered for and for 2 sessions a day). You do need to keep your registers, as required by Ofsted anyway, because if NMRU want proof that you are claiming the correct amount, YOU will have to prove that you have the correct number of children attending each day.

NMRU are looking into the way agents run their schemes and at the end of the day, you are responsible for any claim made in your name. This is what it says on their website:

The Nursery Milk scheme is administered by the Department of Health in England and on behalf of the devolved administrations in Scotland and Wales.

The scheme is administered wholly by the Nursery Milk Reimbursement Unit. The Department of Health does not endorse or partner with any individual agents or milk suppliers to deliver the scheme. Nor does it fund any customer rewards they may choose to offer to daycare providers participating in the Nursery Milk Scheme (such as free equipment, or other foodstuffs).

It is the legal responsibility of providers receiving milk through the Nursery Milk scheme to ensure claims for payment they make to the Nursery Milk Reimbursement Unit, or which are made on their behalf by an agent, are accurate and within the rules of the scheme. We recommend that all providers check and retain receipts and invoices for milk they have received, as we may request them if we have a question about an individual claim

Thanks Mouse

I am fully aware of this.

Mouse
10-01-2012, 10:22 AM
Thanks Mouse

I am fully aware of this.

It's good that you are Dave, but not every one is.

A cm friend of mine was receiving her "full entitlement" of milk based on the numbers on her certificate. She worked with 2 assistants and was registered for up to 9 EY children when she worked with both of them. Her agent sent her milk for 18 children a day (9 per session, 2 sessions per day), ie 6 pints of milk a day, 30 pints a week. In reality, she very rarely worked with either of her assistants, so only every really had 3 children she could claim for, ie. 1 pint per day. She also only worked 4 days a week, so should have claimed for a maximum of 4 pints a week, not the 30 she was receiving (which she used to give away as there was no ways he could ever use it all!)
It had been stressed to her by the agent that she didn't need to keep any records, didn't need to put in any paper claims etc etc. As far as she was concerned, it was the agent who was liable for her claim, not her. She was horrified when she phone NMRU, and was told that the amount claimed WAS her responsibility.

Mouse
10-01-2012, 10:30 AM
I think I'll go with the re-imbursement one anyway.

What would happen if you receive your milk but a child is off sick? At least claiming afterwards you can use your register and ensure you only claim for what was actually used.

If you claim re-imbursement do you have to buy the milk and keep the receipts for it? I saw something about receipts on the website - do they ask you to send them?


For each month, I go through my register and see how many children I had each day and claim for the exact amount. So, if a child was off sick one day they don't count.
You don't have to send your receipts, although I do keep them. For the amount I'm claiming (max 1 pint a day), I don't think they're likely to want proof.

Cazz
10-01-2012, 10:32 AM
For each month, I go through my register and see how many children I had each day and claim for the exact amount. So, if a child was off sick one day they don't count.
You don't have to send your receipts, although I do keep them. For the amount I'm claiming (max 1 pint a day), I don't think they're likely to want proof.

At the moment I buy a 4 pint of milk with my weekly grocery shop which is used by my family and the mindees - would I have to buy a seperate equivalent amount each week so the receipt corresponds?

Ripeberry
10-01-2012, 11:16 AM
It's good that you are Dave, but not every one is.

A cm friend of mine was receiving her "full entitlement" of milk based on the numbers on her certificate. She worked with 2 assistants and was registered for up to 9 EY children when she worked with both of them. Her agent sent her milk for 18 children a day (9 per session, 2 sessions per day), ie 6 pints of milk a day, 30 pints a week. In reality, she very rarely worked with either of her assistants, so only every really had 3 children she could claim for, ie. 1 pint per day. She also only worked 4 days a week, so should have claimed for a maximum of 4 pints a week, not the 30 she was receiving (which she used to give away as there was no ways he could ever use it all!)
It had been stressed to her by the agent that she didn't need to keep any records, didn't need to put in any paper claims etc etc. As far as she was concerned, it was the agent who was liable for her claim, not her. She was horrified when she phone NMRU, and was told that the amount claimed WAS her responsibility.


Sounds like a total con then :(

tulip0803
10-01-2012, 11:20 AM
I buy the 4 pint ones. I use Nursery Milk and claim from my registers at the end of the month. There is often a part of a pint anyway so it does not matter how they come as long as you are only claiming your entitlement. You need to keep your reciepts.

I also only do this for the over 1 year olds because I cannot claim follow-on or ready made milk and the actual list of the types of baby milk you can claim for is small.

teacake2
10-01-2012, 07:17 PM
I have mine delivered through an agent but I told them how much milk I wanted delivering so that it was the correct amount for the children I have, they tried a couple of times to deliver more but I told rang them and told them that it was wrong and they soon sorted it for me.
Teacake2