The DfE have just advised that the additional children who will become eligible for FSM from Autumn 2026 (under the new UC rules) will not be eligible for DfE funded HAF places (or other related benefits). This is going to create considerable confusion among parents and additional work for HAF Teams and schools. The DfE have advised that we can address this issue by using the national online Eligibility Checking Service to confirm whether or not FSM children are eligible for HAF. I am not sure how this will work - hopefully, though, the Checking Service will add a response on HAF eligibility.
The issue though is that we need the parent/carer’s full name, date of birth and national insurance number to check their eligibility. If it is compliant with GDPR, could EEQU’s booking process make this additional information mandatory (and explain why it is needed).
An even better solution - although one that is unlikely to be practicable - is for EEQU to have an API interface with the Eligibility Checking Service so that the system can check eligibility in real time (except where a ‘manual check’ is required). If this was built into the booking process, it would allow bookers to check that they are eligible before they book and, potentially, divert some bookers to paid tickets (where these are available from Providers).