Universal Credit and Home Schooling

WingsOfHeaven

Hi everyone!

I'm looking for some advice. I work full time and my partner looks after our 6 year old son. We are home schooling him and it's going really well. I did a benefit calculation some months ago and it said that we were entitled to a substantial sum (to us) per week on UC so we went to make the claim. All was going well until it asked my partner to sign the declaration that she was available for work. But she's not as she home schools our son - she just doesn't get paid - so we cancelled the claim. Should we have put in that she was working 30+ hours per week but that her pay was nil (or a nominal amount)? Would UC allow that? We have missed out on the help with energy payments that were made over the last few months to people in receipt of UC and, as we live in Northern Ireland, the £400 for every household that the rest of the UK has been receiving, doesn't look like it's coming any time soon, so any additional income would be very useful. 

Thanks in advance

NedS

The main carer for the child (your partner) must be available and actively seeking work once the youngest child turns 3 in order to claim UC. She is not working so you should not declare that she is - besides, UC works on earnings, not hours worked, and she would have no earnings.

Is there a legal reason you are home schooling, or is this a choice you have made? If, for example, the child had been excluded from educational establishments and you have no choice but to home school, then the number of hours your partner is available to look for work and take up work could potentially be reduced. But if they have made themselves unavailable for work by choosing to home school, and then fail to meet the requirements to claim benefits, that is their choice.

Alternatively, could your partner take an evening/weekend job for 16h per week? If so, then they would be meeting the requirements for work and earning enough such that they would not be required to attend appointments and seek further employment, and be free week days to continue home schooling.