Am I eligible?
Children and young people need to be school-aged children (reception to year 11 inclusive) and meet one or more of the following criteria:
- In receipt of targeted benefits-related free school meals (FSM). The eligibility for benefits-related FSM webpage has information about applications and eligibility for benefits-related FSM.
- Assessed (through a Children and Families assessment, undertaken by Children's Services) as a “child in need”
- On a child protection plan
- A child in care
- A young carer
- Assessed (through an early help assessment) to be in financial hardship
- Part of the Ukrainian Family Scheme or the Home for Ukraine programme
- Receiving Free School Meals through having No Recourse to Public Funds
Children and young people in Years 12 - 13 are eligible if they are in receipt of targeted benefits-related free school meals (FSM) and either have an EHCP or are receiving SEN support at their place of education.
From the academic year 2026 to 2027, the government will extend Free School Meals to all children from households in receipt of Universal Credit. This represents a significant expansion of food support to households, reaching over half a million children.
HAF eligibility will not expand in line with this change.
Targeted Free School Meals
If your child receives Free School Meals because your household receives Universal Credit and your household income is below the targeted Free School Meals threshold, which is £7400, they will remain eligible for a funded HAF place.
This means your child can take part in the Winter HAF programme at no cost, subject to places being available.
Children who are eligible under targeted Free School Meals will remain eligible for HAF for the full school year.
Expanded Free School Meals
If your child receives Free School Meals because your household receives Universal Credit but your household income is above the targeted Free School Meals threshold, they may not be eligible for a funded HAF place.
This is because HAF eligibility is not expanding in line with the wider Free School Meals changes. HAF will continue to be linked to targeted Free School Meals, which currently applies to households below the existing income threshold of £7,400.
Some children who have attended HAF before may no longer be eligible after the 2026 summer holiday because transitional protections are ending.
If you are unsure if you are eligible, you can either email haf@coventry.gov.uk or create an account on our booking system and we will complete an eligibility check with the details you provide.