Missed out on fsm vouchers

[Bluecandyfloss]

It's my own fault. I missed out on fsm vouchers for the summer holidays they were meant to be collected yesterday. But I have had so much on my mind. That I forget . I called the school office this morning and they said im to late for them. Do you think there might be another way I can get them? Maybe calling the education department or something? The children won't starve without them . But still would have been a good help to us.

Have schools broken up for summer? The school business manager should still be there - if not today then next week. Ours used to work all year. Are they not e-vouchers sent to your phone?

@Warmduscher

Have schools broken up for summer? The school business manager should still be there - if not today then next week. Ours used to work all year. Are they not e-vouchers sent to your phone?

The school has already said I can't have them. That its to late.

The council maybe?

That's ridiculous. If there is someone there you should be able to collect them
They have been paid for!

@IHaveBrilloHair

The council maybe?

I was thinking that but was not sure where to contact.

Your children are entitled to those vouchers. Can you contact the local authority and tell them you were too late to pick them up and now the school won’t give them to you?

And if you’re speaking to someone at the school then the office must be open, surely?

If they are physical vouchers for a supermarket and not e-vouchers you should ask them to send them to you. Don’t let them fob you off.

@Warmduscher

Your children are entitled to those vouchers. Can you contact the local authority and tell them you were too late to pick them up and now the school won’t give them to you?

And if you’re speaking to someone at the school then the office must be open, surely?

I spoke to them this morning (last day of term ) maybe there will still be someone in office tomorrow I'm not sure. But I already asked and they said I was to late.

OP, that’s not how the FSM voucher system works. The vouchers are for your children. If they are physical vouchers then if you don’t collect then, what are they going to do with them?

I would contact the local authority and explain that you want to speak to someone because the school is refusing to give you the vouchers your children are entitled to because you didn’t pick them up in time. They absolutely cannot keep them.

Were they definitely applied for for your children? We had cut off times several weeks ago. Every successful FSM application that came in after that date we had to send separate requests to the LA for the holiday vouchers. We managed them all apart from the application that was advised to us late yesterday afternoon - final day of term.

Ours (apart from 1 family) are all email not physical.

The school business manager will definitely be there at some point over the holidays. Or call their bluff and say you will pick them up on the first day of the autumn term.

@Warmduscher

If they are physical vouchers for a supermarket and not e-vouchers you should ask them to send them to you. Don’t let them fob you off.

Even if e vouchers they should be able to email them to me. I know that when the first long lock down happend i was not getting the vouchers I should have done. And some time later I got a letter saying that I had not had them and they will send them to me. So there must be away I just can't remember how it happened. But it was them who contacted me. I'm going to check all my emails. And go through my paper work incase I find something.

Absolute bollocks from your school. If they have printed the vouchers they could post them to you, if they are e-vouchers they can email them. Call the LA tomorrow, your school cannot hold them back from you.

@spongedog

Were they definitely applied for for your children? We had cut off times several weeks ago. Every successful FSM application that came in after that date we had to send separate requests to the LA for the holiday vouchers. We managed them all apart from the application that was advised to us late yesterday afternoon - final day of term.

Ours (apart from 1 family) are all email not physical.

I'm not sure what you mean ? My children have been on the fsm system for a long time ? I had not heard anything about applying separately for the summer ones? Also my child who is secondary have sent them to me via email. I was not asked to do anything. Unless it's different for primary school?

@exLtEveDallas

Absolute bollocks from your school. If they have printed the vouchers they could post them to you, if they are e-vouchers they can email them. Call the LA tomorrow, your school cannot hold them back from you.

Would I contact the education department?

I wouldn't have thought the council can do very much. I'd email the head teacher.
They'll still be monitoring for the next few days in case of any positive covid test

I have emailed pupil support at the council. Says 5 days for a reply . So will see what they say .

I know in my area (Worcestershire) the LA were given Govt money for holiday period FSM vouchers. They set up an account with the provider that schools/ academies/Trusts then use to purchase based on the number of children entitled to FSM. It’s a slightly different system to the vouchers given during lockdown periods which were purchased directly from Edenred and then costs claimed back.

I would try emailing the headteacher first - put Covid-19 in the subject line and it’s more likely to be opened! Explain what has happened and that you need your child’s full entitlement. Add your address and email address so they can’t say they couldn’t get them to you, even say which supermarket you would prefer (from memory the choices are Tesco, Morrison’s, Aldi, McColl, Sainsbury and Waitrose) as he could claim them for you and either print or email the voucher when it comes through (I do it for a number of families that do not have access to email). At the end ask for the contact details for ‘Early Help’ at the LA so you can ask them direct if school is unable to help.

(That’s who we would contact, it might be different in your area but every council will have a FSM department)