Aibu to be confused about free school meals/pupil premium

[biddyboo]

Dd has a school trip coming up soon, but when I logged in to pay it said it had already been paid. When I queried it with the school office they said it was because my dd receives pupil premium. I was puzzled by this as I'm pretty sure we don't qualify. We've got 2 children and a joint income of about £40,000. I work part time and we did receive the childcare element of tax credits for a while, but now get childcare vouchers instead. Aibu to pursue this? The office seemed to think it wasn't a big deal and I shouldn't do anything, but I don't feel comfortable receiving something we're not entitled to. I'm also concerned that if there has been a clerical error then we are receiving it instead of someone else who is entitled.

I does sound like a clerical error because as far as I remember, parents had to apply for FSM.

I would continue to query it.

Is your dd adopted? Or been in foster care?

Blimey, our school won’t subsidise trips for those on free school meals, let alone cover them completely. I wish they did!!

I had to apply to the council for FSM. They then notified the school and this triggered the PP. Sounds like an error to me. I'd follow up your query.

If you have ever been eligible for free school mrals (seperate from funded infant school dinners), then your dc get the funding for the next 6 years so would.be dependent on previous circumstances as well as current ones

No she's not adopted. I've been through the eligibility criteria, and the only thing that made me pause was that we have received child tax credits in the past, but out household income still exceeds the threshold to receive fsm.

The woman in the office was whispering to me about pupil premium, and seemed a bit embarrassed that I continued to query it.

Some kids get "ever 6" , so if they have been entitled to FSM and or pupil premium at any point they will continue to receive pupil premium for 6 years/til they end of that school block. Something along those lines. Rules have been going back and forth, and while they sort out the shambles of the benefit system they have given ever 6 to any pupil qualifying for PP or SCM in April last year.

We wouldn't have qualified when she started school either though. Unless everyone who received child tax credits qualifies regardless of household income? I'm not sure if I'm understanding it correctly.

PP and FSM are not one and the same thing. FSM is one of several PP categories. As someone has said it could be you have had FSM any time in last 6 years? That's known as Ever 6 I think.

It could be an error though, school coding errors are very common. If that's the case the school isn't actually getting the money they've just made a mistake on their records.

Does your daughter have a common name? It does sound like it could be an error on the system, perhaps there's a child with a similar name and they have been mixed up.

Did your dd have two year funding? One of mine did and this made us 'ever 6'

I don't think her name is especially common at the school. No, she didn't receive the 2 year funding. My youngest currently gets the 30 free hours.

I assuming schools can't apply on your behalf without your knowledge?

You should definitely query this as must be a mistatke

We get ever 6 but it makes no difference to us in that its only those on fsm that get the subsidies for trips/music etc :(

In your case with that oncome it does sound an error and worth querying in case someone who os entitled isnt getting it.

My dd and ds get free school meals due to pupil premium and yes we did have to apply for it. It does sound like an error.

it sound slike an error.

She would get it if:
she has received PP funding or FSM in the last 6 years
one of you is in the forces
she is or was a LAC (looked after child) ie foster care/adoption
you received child tax credits now, or received certain benefits which I have forgotten

If none of that applies, then she shouldn't be getting PP.