How to claim a school milk subsidy - milk consumed before 1 August 2017
How and when registered claimants can make a claim for the school milk subsidy.
This guidance is for milk consumed before 1 August 2017
Different guidance applies for milk consumed from 1 August 2017
Once you have registered as a school milk claimant with the Rural Payments Agency (RPA), you can claim your subsidy.
How to claim
You can make your claim using .
It’s your responsibility as a claimant to make sure your claim is accurate.
When to claim
Claims must be made in arrears but claim periods can’t be before the date of your approval as a claimant. Claim periods can be:
- school terms
- school terms rounded to whole months
- the same periods as claims for milk under the nursery milk scheme
- calendar months
- any other period of between 1 and 7 months
RPA will contact you annually to find out your claim periods. You must provide this information before you submit your claims or they can’t be processed.
You must send your claim to RPA by the end of the third month after the end of the claim period.
For example:
| Claim period ends in | Deadline for receipt |
|---|---|
| March | 30 June |
| April | 31 July |
| July | 31 October |
| December | 31 March |
If the deadline falls on a public holiday or weekend, it’s extended to the next working day.
Late claims may be subject to a financial penalty, as detailed in Commission Regulation 657/2008 (as amended), Article 11(3).
Claim for multiple schools
If you’re claiming school milk for more than 1 school, you’ll need to attach an annex to each claim with information about all the schools.
You can use the to provide this.
If you use your own spreadsheet, you’ll need to replicate the columns and headings on RPA school milk claims spreadsheet.
If you’re claiming for primary and secondary schools, you’ll need to submit 2 annexes:
- one for pupils receiving primary education
- one for pupils receiving secondary education
Where a school has both primary and secondary pupils, you must only include the number of eligible pupils in each category on each annex.
Pupils receiving primary education in special or secondary schools can be included in your annex for primary schools, so they can benefit from top up funding.
When to expect your payment
If this is your first claim, you won’t be paid until RPA has carried out an inspection to check your records. Further pre-payment inspections may be required on subsequent claims if errors are found.
RPA aims to pay all other claims as quickly as possible, with at least 96% paid within 28 days and 100% paid within 90 days of its receipt.
If your claim is incomplete or we have to query any of the information on it, this period starts from the date on which the query is resolved.
Claim administrative costs in Wales
For children in Key Stage 1 education in Wales, the full cost of milk is reimbursed, plus a contribution to administration costs.
Examples of the costs you can claim for include:
- school and local authority staff time spent
- distributing milk
- dealing with suppliers
- compiling claims
- paying supplier invoices
- maintaining records to support claims
- management checking of claims
- supervising pupils while they consume milk
- stocking milk
- removing refuse
- cleaning refrigerators
- refrigeration costs
- purchase
- leasing
- maintenance
- running costs (including electricity)
- administrative costs
- stationery
- postage
- telephone
- printing
- cleaning materials, like washing up liquid
- beakers, cups and straws
- refuse disposal costs
- containers
- waste collections
- storage of invoices and other records for the required 3 year minimum
- transfer of records to microfiche or electronic formats
Templates to help you work out your overheads are available by calling RPA on 01392 315766.
You don’t have to claim overheads and if you don’t claim when you first apply, you can still do so on future applications.
As it may take several claims to recoup the full cost (for example, of refrigerators), there is no limit to the number of claims over which the cost is spread, but you should not include the full cost on each claim. You’ll need to be able to show that the cost is equivalent to more than 3 pence per carton.
Relevant regulations
Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council - Articles 22, 26 to 28, and 217
Council Regulation (EU) No 1370/2013 - Article 6
Commission Regulation (EC) No 657/2008 laying down detailed rules for applying Council Regulation (EC) No 1234/2007 as regards Community aid for supplying milk and certain milk products to pupils in educational establishments
The Milk and Milk Products (Pupils in Educational Establishments) (England) Regulations 2008 No. 2072 as amended by the Single Common Market Organisation (Consequential Amendments) Regulations 2013 No. 3235
The School Milk (Wales) Regulations 2008 No. 2141(W. 190) as amended by the School Milk (Wales) (Amendment) Regulations 2009 No. 108 (W.21) and by the Single Common Market Organisation (Consequential Amendments) (Wales) Regulations 2013 No. 3270 (W. 320)
The Milk and Milk Products (Pupils in Educational Establishments) (Scotland) Regulations 2001 No. 162 as amended by the Milk and Milk Products (Pupils in Educational Establishments) (Scotland) (Amendment) Regulations 2011/82 and by the Single Common Market Organisation (Consequential Amendments) Regulations 2013/3235