Samantha Derbyshire, of Riverside, is just one of many angry and confused parents who received the government's back to school bonus for her daughter Emma, 4, but has been told to pay it back.

She received the first half of the $410 bonus of $205 and only days later received a letter saying she had to give it back.

The reason - her child is starting kindergarten three days a week at Riverside Primary School and not primary school.

In a glitch in the system that appears to have affected possibly hundreds of Tasmanian families, parents have received the payment via Centrelink since January 9.

Unlike other states, kindergarten is affiliated with a school in Tasmania - so parents are generally expected to pay for a uniform and cover other associated costs.

A spokesman for Families Minister Jenny Macklin yesterday blamed the parents and said they had misadvised Centrelink about when their child started school.

``We still have to pay school fees of $150, my daughter has to be in school uniform - I think we have just as much right to it, why shouldn't we be eligible for it,'' Ms Derbyshire said.

She said if the government took the money back, it would feel the anger of many families come election day.

Many more parents complained to The Examiner  about the run-around and lack of information from Centrelink and other government departments about whether they were actually entitled to the payment.

Ms Macklin's spokesman said the department did not know any instances where parents had claimed the payments they were not entitled to.

``Children in kindergarten in Tasmania are not eligible for the Schoolkids Bonus because kindergarten is not primary school,'' he said.

``The first year of primary school in Tasmania is prep.''

He said the eligibility rules for preschool children are the same as the old education tax refund.