Just received this e-mail from the NMRU ....
Important information about Scotts Distribution Ltd from the Department of Health
We are writing to inform you that, with immediate effect, the Nursery Milk Reimbursement Unit has suspended claims for Nursery Milk made by Scotts Distribution Ltd until further notice. This also applies to the new company Milk For Free Ltd.
What is the NMRU?
We are the official Nursery Milk Reimbursement Unit and we run the Nursery Milk Scheme on behalf of the Department of Health. We are responsible for reimbursing the cost of the milk provided to children under the scheme. We have nothing to do with milk deliveries.
Nursery Milk Scheme ? claiming correctly
As a setting registered with the Nursery Milk Scheme, it is your responsibility to ensure that the amount of milk claimed for is correct even if you have your milk supplied through an agent.
Please remember: the Nursery Milk Scheme entitles registered childcare settings to claim for one free drink of milk (1/3 of a pint of heat-treated cow?s milk) each day for children under five who attend for two or more hours a day. For children under one year old, this is given as infant formula. You can still claim for children who are absent without prior notice (e.g. off sick for less than a week). It is important to note that, for children who stay all day, the scheme only provides one free drink of milk, not one in the morning and another in the afternoon
Visit the Nursery Milk website www.nurserymilk.co.uk for more information about the scheme and to look at the FAQs for additional help. Should you require further assistance please call the helpline on 0844 991 4444
Nursery Milk Reimbursement Unit (NMRU).
Should say I do the claim for a playgroup and do it directly through NMRU website every month ...it is really easy - you need average no of children per day, no of days open and how much milk you bought - and they refund directly into our bank account - just keep your receipts/invoices (you should also display an A3(!) poster you are supposed to print it out from their website but when I told them I didn't have an A3 printer they sent me a copy in the post) We get our milk delivered by local milkman and I only claim for what we buy - which is always a lot less than the allowance...never saw the point of using an agency...there does appear to be limited checks being made ...
In fact they did a survey in summer about the best way of changing the system ...eg some places were claiming milk at 90p+ per pint!
(actually the only thing I do find frustrating is you can't claim for the month until the end of the month - so eg at Christmas when we closed on 21st ...I couldn't put claim through till after 31st Dec...minor but slightly irritating.... )