Five CEA rules that catch Forces families out

CEA is a regulated MOD allowance, not a general contribution towards school fees. Families rarely fall foul of the headline conditions — they fall foul of the detail. Here are five rules worth knowing before you commit to anything.

1. Saturday night does not count towards weekly boarding

Weekly boarding means a minimum of four consecutive nights a week, for example Monday to Thursday. Saturday night cannot be one of the four. Families who assume a Friday-to-Monday pattern qualifies can find the arrangement does not meet the definition at all.

2. There is a two-year bar near the end of service

If the family home is your own home and you are within your last two years of service, an initial claim will not be authorised. You also need at least 12 months left to serve, and must not have applied for early termination.

3. Specialist SEN report fees are only reimbursed if asked for in advance

CEA (SENA) can help where a child has special educational needs, but the funding is not guaranteed. More costly still: the fee for a specialist report is only reimbursed if the Education Advisory Team (UK) requested that report before it was carried out. Commission one first and you may be paying for it yourself.

4. The school has to be on a database you cannot see

A claim can only be made against a school on the MOD schools database, maintained by the Education Advisory Team (UK). It is not published online, so you cannot check it yourself — ask the school directly whether it is currently on the list, and confirm before signing a contract. Schools are removed if inspections fall below the expected standard.

5. The allowance can be reviewed, and stopped

CEA confers no retention rights once granted. Your Commanding Officer must start a review when your circumstances change, and DBS PACCC may call one where the family home has not moved more than 50 miles, where you have not been assigned more than 50 miles for two consecutive assignments, or where you are unlikely to move within four years.

Where to check

Eligibility questions go to your Unit HR or RAO. Advice on schools, boarding suitability and special educational needs comes from the Education Advisory Team (UK) — formerly CEAS. The full rules are in JSP 752, Chapter 14.

We have set the detail out in one place: see our guide to CEA eligibility rules, or read how Armed Forces families can claim CEA for the application process.