Free school meals and pupil premium
If you receive certain benefits and have a child in primary or secondary school, your child may be eligible for free school meals.
By registering for free school meals, you also help your child’s school get extra government funding called the pupil premium. This funding helps schools provide extra tuition, teacher training, and after-school activities that support learning for all pupils.
Many schools rely on this funding to offer important resources and opportunities they would not otherwise be able to afford. Most schools explain how they use the pupil premium on their websites, so you can see how it benefits your child’s education directly.
Free school meal changes from September 2026
The government is changing the rules for free school meals from September 2026.
Current protections ending
Protections were put in place to support families during the rollout of Universal Credit. They allowed children to keep free school meals even if a family's income changed.
These protections will end at the end of the 2025 to 2026 school year (July 2026).
What is changing from September 2026
Children will be checked against 2 categories:
| Targeted | Expanded |
|---|---|
If you meet the current eligibility criteria:
|
If you receive Universal Credit, regardless of income:
|
If your child already receives free school meals
When the protections end, we will check all children against the new eligibility criteria.
If your circumstances have changed since your last application, you should apply again to your child’s school or email freeschoolmeals@enfield.gov.uk.
If you apply before September 2026, we will use the current income rules. See Who can get free school meals?
Get more information
If you have questions email freeschoolmeals@enfield.gov.uk.
We will share updates from the Department for Education when they are available.
For more information about the new criteria, contact your child's school.
Who can get free school meals?
Children in reception, year 1 and year 2 – key stage 1
All children in reception, year 1 and year 2 automatically receive free school meals if they attend a state-maintained school. It does not matter if their parent or carer receives benefits. This scheme is called Universal Infant Free School Meals (UIFSM).
To register – collect an application form from your child’s school.
Children in years 3 to 6 – key stage 2
All children in years 3 to 6 attending state-maintained schools in London are eligible for free school meals. This scheme, introduced by the Mayor of London, is available to all families, regardless of income or benefits. This is in addition to the UIFSM for younger children.
To register – download the application form from ‘How to apply for free school meals’, or collect a paper copy from your child’s school.
Secondary school children in years 7 to 11 – key stage 3 and 4
To find out if your child qualifies for free school meals, see 'free school meals benefit criteria' below.
To register – download the application form from ‘How to apply for free school meals’, or collect a paper copy from your child’s school.
Sixth form students aged 16 to 18 – key stage 5
To find out if your child qualifies for free school meals, see 'free school meals benefit criteria' below.
We can only accept applications for sixth form students who attend a sixth form that's part of a secondary school in Enfield.
To register – download the application form from ‘How to apply for free school meals’, or collect a paper copy from your child’s school.
Free school meals benefit criteria
To be eligible for free school meals, a child's parent or carer must receive one of the following benefits. Young people who receive any of these benefits themselves, can also apply:
- Universal Credit – only if your annual earnings (after tax) are £7,400 or less (£616.67 per month). (Just receiving Universal Credit does not guarantee eligibility – you must meet the earnings limit above).
- Income Support
- Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
- Support under Part 6 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
- The guaranteed element of Pension Credit
- Child Tax Credit only (without Working Tax Credit) – if your annual income before tax is £16,190 or less. (If you also receive Working Tax Credit you are not eligible).
- Working Tax Credit ‘run-on’ – paid for 4 weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit
How to apply for free school meals
To apply for free school meals, download the free school meals application form (PDF, 300.65 KB) and save to your device. Fill in your details, save it again, and email to freeschoolmeals@enfield.gov.uk.
You can also ask your child’s school for a paper application form. Once completed, you can return it to the school or email it to freeschoolmeals@enfield.gov.uk.
You do not need to provide proof of your benefit when applying. If the automatic check does not confirm eligibility, we will contact you for more information.
Application processing times
We usually process applications within 10 working days. In many cases, we manage to complete them sooner.
However, please be aware that September and October are our busiest months. During this time we receive a large number of applications and enquiries, which can cause delays.
If you’ve already applied and are waiting for a response, please do not apply again – unless you’re providing new or updated information. This helps us deal with applications more quickly and avoid delays.
If your application is successful, we will let your child’s school know.
Schools that manage their own free school meal application process
Some schools in Enfield manage their own free school meal applications.
If your child goes to one of the schools listed below, please contact the school directly to:
- Aim North London
- Alma Primary
- ARK John Keats Academy
- Houndsfield Primary
- Keys Meadow Primary
- Merryhills Primary
- Oasis Academy Enfield
- Oasis Academy Hadley
- One Degree Academy
- Wolfson Hillel Primary
- Worcesters Primary
- Wren Academy Enfield
Schools outside of Enfield
If your child attends a school in another borough, you will need to apply through the appropriate local council or contact the school directly.
How we check entitlement
We check whether your child qualifies for free school meals using the Department for Education’s Eligibility Checking System (ECS).
This system looks at information from:
- the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP)
- the Home Office (HO)
- Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC)
The ECS only tells us if you’re eligible or not – it does not share any personal details about you or your child.
Please note: Free school meals cannot be backdated. A child becomes eligible only from the date their eligibility is confirmed by the local authority.
Families with no recourse to public funds
Children from households with no recourse to public funds (NRPF), can now permanently receive free school meals, as long as the family’s income is below certain limits. This includes any financial support or income you and your partner receive.
To check if you qualify, read the Department for Education’s (DfE) guidance on free school meals to families with no recourse to public funds.
To apply, complete the application form on the DfE website. You must also submit evidence as listed in the guidance provided.
Email your completed application and supporting evidence to freeschoolmeals@enfield.gov.uk.
Contact us
ESAS and Free School Meals
Civic Centre
Silver Street
Enfield
EN1 3XA
Email: freeschoolmeals@enfield.gov.uk
Telephone: 020 8379 5367 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 1pm)
Transitional protection
Children currently receiving free school meals are protected from losing their entitlement under certain rules.
Since 1 April 2018, children who were eligible for free school meals have continued to receive them during the rollout of Universal Credit. This protection applies even if you’re household circumstances change – for example, if your income rises above the qualifying threshold. It will remain in place until the end of the 2025/26 school year.
From the start of the 2026/27 school year, all children in households receiving Universal Credit will qualify for free school meals. At the same time, transitional protections will end, and eligibility will be based only on whether each child meets the standard criteria. The Department for Education will release more details before September 2026.
Please note: Free school meals are awarded to individual children – not to the whole family. Each child must meet the criteria at the time of application. Siblings are not automatically eligible.
Mayor of London universal free school meals
All children attending state-funded primary schools in London automatically get a free school meal. Parents or carers do not have to pay, which could save families around £500 per child each year.
This scheme was introduced by the Mayor of London in September 2023 and has now been extended through the 2025/2026 school year.
Even though meals are provided automatically, families who receive benefits should still complete a free school meals application form. This enables schools to claim additional funding, known as pupil premium – which helps to support children’s learning, wellbeing, and access to activities.
This extra funding makes a real difference to schools – allowing them to provide more resources and opportunities for their pupils.
For more information, visit Mayor of London - Free School Meals.
Moving to a different school
Moving to a school within Enfield
If your child moves to another school in Enfield, please let us know. This helps us make sure their free school meal entitlement – based on your benefits – can be transferred to the new school.
Moving to a school outside Enfield
If your child moves to a school outside Enfield, contact the new school or local authority to ask how to apply for free school meals in that area.
Holiday activities and food programme
The holiday activities and food programme (HAF) offers free, fun activities for children and young people during the Easter, summer and winter school holidays. Activities include sports, arts and crafts, and chances to try new things.
The programme is funded by the Department for Education (DfE) and is open to children from reception to year 11 who receive benefits-related free school meals.