Parents 'frustrated' by collapse of school cash app

The sQuid app allowed parents to put money on a card so children could pay for meals and other items at schools

Parents trying to retrieve money from a pre-payment system for school meals are "disappointed and frustrated" at being charged a £10 administration fee to reclaim funds, a school leader has said.

The sQuid app allowed parents to put money on a card so pupils could pay for meals and other items but it ceased UK operations on 14 March.

The firm said it announced the move on 3 February, citing "increasingly adverse trading conditions during and post-Covid".

Nathan Jeremiah, from Archway Learning Trust, which runs schools across the East Midlands and used the system, said there was about £43,000 owed to about 1,300 parents in the system when the company ceased operation.

"For our parents that is a lot of money," said Mr Jeremiah, chief operating officer at the Nottinghamshire-based trust.

"We serve [some] incredibly disadvantaged communities where they're putting that money on the account to feed their children, with the intent that that would provide their child with a meal at school.

"To not have that available for some of the schools and communities we serve, that is a significant sum of money."

Company 'difficult'

Mr Jeremiah said he has been dealing with parents trying to get their money refunded, with the administration fee causing particular anger, and criticised the company for their response.

"There [have] been complaints, and a lot of noise from parents that are disappointed and frustrated that a company has said in good faith they wouldn't charge [an admin fee] up until that point, and then decided at the last minute that they would," he said.

"They [sQuid] have been incredibly difficult to deal with, to actually get clarity to provide to parents - they said the normal ways, so [the] app and a website, etc, to be able to get money out of the system and top up, would continue to work, and then they shut the app down almost immediately.

"It appears to me that every obstacle they could put in [parents'] way, they have."

In a statement sQuid said it "has continued to provide a refund service to parents in accordance with its terms and conditions" and is continuing to process refunds.

It also said the terms and conditions regarding refunds "have not changed".

"The company planned and has been carrying out an orderly exit leaving time for schools to find alternative providers while continuing to support services for schools and parents until we have completed the exit," the statement said.

"We understand why some schools and parents are upset that we are making any charges, even though these charges are clearly stated in our terms and conditions.

"It remains our intention to complete our exit from the market responsibly and with the least impact on all concerned."