According to the Department of Health, as a result of some milk suppliers who act as 'middlemen' for nurseries claiming double the amount of money they should, the total cost of the scheme rose by almost double the figure in 2007. Based on this, the Department of Health estimated that the cost of the scheme could escalate to £76m by 2016.
Currently 1.5 million children under five, who attend a nursery or childminder setting at least two hours a day in England, Scotland and Wales, receive 189ml of milk for free under the scheme.
In order to join the scheme, which covers 55,000 childcare settings, providers must complete an application form on the Nursery Milk Reimbursement Unit (NMRU) website. Once an application has been approved by the NMRU, providers receive a confirmation letter with a unique account number and claim form.
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