Tri-Service

Taxpayers Pay £80m Bill For Forces Kids' School Fees

Taxpayers Pay £80m Bill For Forces Children's School Fees

More than £80 million of public money was spent sending the children of military personnel to private schools last year, new figures show.

A further £27m was spent on the children of diplomatic staff, with most of the £107m total going to domestic schools.

Overall the figure works out at almost £21,000 per staff member last year, albeit with some paying fees for multiple children.

The policy is designed to help ensure thousands of children are not disadvantaged in their education by following their parents around the country, or internationally.

More:What Is The Armed Forces Covenant?

But the figures have prompted a fresh debate about whether the policy can be justified as the government tightens its belt, with the number of regular Army soldiers being reduced from 102,000 in 2010, down to 82,000 by 2020.

The MoD's costs were split between 3,040 claimants in the UK and 630 overseas.

Those stationed in the UK claimed for a total of £67 million, compared to £13.7 million for those abroad.

The figures were revealed by the MoD in response to a written question from Labour MP Rachel Reeves. Defence Minister Mark Lancaster said:

"Continuity of education allowance (CEA) was reviewed as part of the Strategic Defence and Security Review 2010. Since then, our reforms have reduced costs by around £30 million per annum along with an associated reduction in claimants. Work continues to further reduce the cost of the allowance, whilst ensuring funding goes to those who really need it."

The maximum that can be claimed under CEA is £7,245 per child per term, with parents required to make a minimum contribution of 10% of the school fees per child.

But this has prompted fears the policy excludes lower earning staff.

According to the Plymouth Herald, just a third (34%) of the families benefiting from the payments are lower ranking servicemen and women, with 3,630 of 5,520 payments from the last financial year going to officers’ kids, while 1,890 were children of lower ranking serving servicemen and women.

The Cannon Yard at Eton, which contains a large cannon captured during the Crimean War. Taxpayers paid for 20 service children to attend the prestigious college

300 children, meanwhile, had their school fees paid for by the state even though their serving parent earned more than £100,000 a year, while just 50 kids of rank OR2 – the equivalent of a private in the army – had their school fees paid.

Of those children who had their fees paid, the most common rank for their parent was OF4 – the equivalent of a Lieutenant Colonel in the army - while taxpayers paid for 20 kids to go to Eton, 30 to attend Fettes (pictured at top of article) and 20 to be schooled at Radley.

Shadow defence secretary Clive Lewis said he would be asking the MoD for a further breakdown of the split between the officers who claim and those in lower ranks. Mr Lewis said:

"Finding the right school can be really difficult for parents who serve in the Armed Forces, particularly those who spend a lot of time overseas. For many families this allowance helps provide a degree of stability as their children go through school.

"That said, it's vital that benefits like these should be distributed fairly between officers and other ranks, so I'll be pressing the MoD for further information in order to clarify whether that's currently happening."

The money can be claimed from the school term a child turns eight until they finish their A-levels. Once a school has been chosen a child tends to stay there for a relevant period, such as throughout secondary school.

A MoD spokeswoman added:

"Our reforms mean spend on this allowance has fallen every year for the past six years. We are determined that it only supports children of service personnel who really need it to protect their education."

Rachel Reeves, who uncovered the figures through parliamentary questions, said:

"Under this government, the education of millions of children and young people has suffered through brutal cuts to Sure Start centres, the scrapping of educational maintenance allowances and a hike in tuition fees.

"Ministers need to explain why taxpayers are being asked to stump up tens of millions of pounds a year for expensive private school fees for the children of diplomats and MoD staff - even though the staff are based here in the UK.

"It cannot be right that taxpayers are funding this kind of perk for UK-based civil servants' children when there is such a tight squeeze on public finances.

"Ministers must justify what will seem to many like an extraordinary privilege for a lucky few and an unjustifiable luxury at a time when millions of young people are bearing the brunt of cuts to education and other vital services."