Home education reforms delayed

The planned welfare reforms would force home educating single parents with a youngest child of seven or above to claim Jobseekers Allowance rather than income support. The measure should have been presented to Parliament this month after a Social Security Advisory Committee (SSAC) consultation.

But the SSAC's report on the consultation has now been delayed until August due to the volume of responses. As a result, Parliament cannot consider reforms until October after its summer break.

Fiona Nicholson, chair of home schooling organisation Education Otherwise, said: "The big thing for us is that MPs are in their constituencies in the summer holidays. It's a window of opportunity to get in touch and ask them if they're aware of the ramifications of all of this."