What do I say on UC journal about home educated dc and child element

[HomeEducate]

I know that I can get the child element till after dd 19th birthday but they want details of non advanced full time course but she is home educated (has always been) but what do I tell them ? It’s not clear

That’s amazing ! I’m going to see if it’s available in our area

What is she studying now, if you already covered the GCSE syllabus?

Pearson offer home/ remote invigilation for their igcses which may be a possibility? I fear it might be expensive though.

That's good to hear. But if there is medical evidence of need, I don't really understand why parents should have to cover the cost. It is surely in the interests of the state to support disabled people to get whatever qualifications they are capable of getting?

Not disputing that parents do have to fork out, but it's wrong. A child's right to an education shouldn't depend on how deep their parents' pockets are. I think the OP should try to enlist the support of her MP.

You can list what DD is working on/towards. It doesn’t have to be a formal course. Although you can also say e.g. “working towards level 1 functional skills maths” or “working towards GCSEs”.

Does DD have an EHCP?

No she hasn’t got an EHCP

Once your child is out of school, you have to cover all costs yourself.

Request an EHCNA. On their website, IPSEA has a model letter you can use.

An EHCP can fund provision at home if necessary and it can fund exams with invigilation at home too. It can also fund therapies etc.

Approved education means she should be in formal education, usually 6th form or college. If you don’t have any then you probably won’t qualify for the child element.

She has started studying languages, exam papers,and likes to redo essays. We have also started to do a lot of work around life skills as she is not competent in things so we are helping her to learn how to do practical tasks that she will need.

Yes, I understand that that's the case for people who have opted to home educate, and tbh, I think that's fair enough in most cases. But where there are specific medical needs that make school impossible, then the LA should cover costs. I know that our local authority does fund tuition for kids who are unable to attend school, as two of my friends have had to access it for their dcs. I'm not sure why exams couldn't be covered in the same way.

That's good to hear.

Home education can be approved education.

Only if they have a ECHP. Without it they won’t take home ed as approved.

That isn’t correct. If the EHE begins prior to their 16th birthday, they can continue to be a qualifying young person.

Every year we’ve had to send a full report with examples and samples of work plus had a few home visits and each year had written confirmation that we were providing a suitable full time education so I think it is approved it’s just post 16 it seems unclear

Take a look at edexcel they were offering online remote invigilation this year for some subjects. It was not cheep and the invigilator fees were on top of the exam fees. It’s too late to book them now this summers exams. Also as she would be year 12 if in college now your local EHE team will not advise them she is still home educating as their remit finished the last Friday in June of her year 11 year. They can only advise she was know to their service between xxx date and xx date and they were advised you planned to continue EHE post 16.

Because you have to fight tooth and nail to get the LA to fund anything, most EHCPs are rejected let alone requests for EOTAS (where LAs fund education outside of school) - a large proportion of home educating families do so because their child can't go to school not out of 'choice'. LAs much prefer this as it is cheaper.

This is why it's so important to get proper information and not take advice from mumsnet posters who know nothing about home ed. Have a look at the link from Educational Freedom I posted - it explains exactly what you need to do for child benefit and which forms to request.

The child element of UC is a different benefit to Child Benefit.

Parents can appeal EHCP refusals and refusal to provide EOTAS/EOTIS.

For compulsory school aged DC (so I’m aware not from Y12 onwards), even without an EHCP, the LA has a duty under section 19 of the Education Act 1996 to provide a suitable, full-time education to those unable to attend school full-time. When LAs refuse or delay, parents can force the LA to provide this provision.

Why do you have no idea? When you made the decision to home educate your daughter, this should have been something you looked into. If she is bright enough to get qualifications, you need to do everything you possibly can to make sure she gets them.

If you have the backing of LA, could they write you a letter?
If they could, it would help you no end.
Even if it’s just a print out of the assessments and evidence you’ve given them.

Parents can, and do, appeal and go to tribunal and some are successful in forcing LAs to provide - but it's not an easy thing to do and not all parents are capable of doing so especially when they are also trying to care for their child (and often hold down a job as well).
It shouldn't have to be a battle where only the most tenacious and well resourced parents can win.

parents shouldn’t have to and I didn’t say it was easy, but it is an option parents have.

The child element of UC is a different benefit to Child Benefit. - true, but if the OP gets child benefit as the child's education is continuing, then they should also qualify for UC.