Free School Meals

The Free School Meals Team determines entitlement to free school meals for children attending full time education.

Parents are required to make an application which includes a request for the applicant’s national insurance number. Parents are not required to provide documentary evidence of the benefit they receive but must sign a declaration on the completed form. Enfield has access to the Department for Education’s (DfE) Eligibility Checking System that holds data from the Department for Work and Pensions, Home Office and HM Revenue and Customs.

Application forms are provided to schools for parents to use, parents can also access them from the Council’s website.

On receipt of the completed application, the Free School Meals Team will use the DfE’s Eligibility Checking System to determine a family’s entitlement to free school meals.

If a family does not receive a qualifying benefit, the Free School Meals Team will confirm this to the parent and inform the school.

If a family qualifies for free school meals, the Free School Meals team will confirm this to the parent and inform the school.

Once free school meals are determined, families have a continuous entitlement to free school meals.

Schools should inform the Free School Meals Team if a child in receipt of free school meals leaves the school.

To increase the uptake of free school meals, the Free School Meals Team carry out monthly re-checks on the DfE Eligibility Checking System for those parents who previously made an application and checked ‘Not Eligible’.  Schools will be informed of any family who has become ‘Eligible’. 

FSM entitlement reports can be run by the school at any time by accessing SAM.  Entitlement reports can also be provided on request.

The Team will provide advice and guidance to schools regarding any changes in legislation to free school meals, such as Universal Credit Roll-Out and advice and guidance to parents on the application procedure and qualifying benefits.