Child benefit employment question

Hi everyone,

Please delete if this isn't the best forum for it (I thought about the Taxes one but it was pretty incongruent there!)

I'm in the process now we have ILR of switching the Child Benefit claim from me to my partner. She's a homemaker, so not paid, and all the financial stuff is off me - she isn't looking for work particularly, but the options don't suggest an easy fit for this question:

What is your employment status?
Tick the box or boxes that apply.
You only need to answer this question if you've ever lived outside of the UK

[ ] Looking for work in the UK
[ ] Employed in the UK
[ ] Self-employed in the UK
[ ] None of these - I've enough money to support my family in the UK

None of these is strictly correct, though of them all the last is closest (insofar as "my partner is working and we have enough money to support our family in the UK).

Any advice is welcome!

EDIT: I've opted for the last one and I'll see how it goes

EDIT: I've opted for the last one and I'll see how it goes

I would have gone for the last one too, but all you are doing is switching the Child Benefit to her, to give her a NI Credit towards a UK state pension/part of a UK state pension if she has 10 years.

Be aware that if you are also claiming the Tax Credit benefits (Working Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit) that these benefits are being replaced by the one low income benefit called Universal Credit and the Tax Credit benefit will end. If you then claim UC, both parents have work requirements.
https://www.gov.uk/universal-credit/your-responsibilities

EDIT - Child Benefit gives a credit towards a UK state pension if the child is under age 12.
https://www.gov.uk/child-benefit/what-youll-get

I would have gone for the last one too, but all you are doing is switching the Child Benefit to her, to give her a NI Credit towards a UK state pension/part of a UK state pension if she has 10 years.

Be aware that if you are also claiming the Tax Credit benefits (Working Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit) that these benefits are being replaced by the one low income benefit called Universal Credit and the Tax Credit benefit will end. If you then claim UC, both parents have work requirements.
https://www.gov.uk/universal-credit/your-responsibilities

EDIT - Child Benefit gives a credit towards a UK state pension if the child is under age 12.
https://www.gov.uk/child-benefit/what-youll-get

That's great, thanks very much for the clarification. I think this and the marriage allowance is all that we'll be doing really on this front. That we might be able to get a couple of years out of the pension credit in the meantime is the main thrust for it, mostly just because it's impossible to predict what the pension landscape is going to look like down the line. No tax credits or anything more complicated here (thankfully) beyond the MA.

That's great, thanks very much for the clarification. I think this and the marriage allowance is all that we'll be doing really on this front. That we might be able to get a couple of years out of the pension credit in the meantime is the main thrust for it, mostly just because it's impossible to predict what the pension landscape is going to look like down the line. No tax credits or anything more complicated here (thankfully) beyond the MA.

If you are not already claiming Pension Credit, then that has changed too, from both being able to claim Pension Credit, even if one partners is not of UK state pension age. If one partner is below UK State pension age, they must now both claim Universal Credit instead as a couple. The partner who is of UK state pension age is excused the work requirement that UC has, but their pensions reduce their joint UC claim £ for £, even of they are not taking their pensions.

If you aren't taking PC, a lot of people say that they can't see that benefit continuing. The arguement being that the new weekly state pension amount is over the Pension Credit cap.