diff --git a/changelog.d/645.fixed.md b/changelog.d/645.fixed.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..2b4678be
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelog.d/645.fixed.md
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+The UK reform contract's household route now runs when country imports are skipped, so the candidate script's `POLICYENGINE_SKIP_COUNTRY_IMPORTS` no longer turns every `wrapper.household` row into an error and rejects every UK candidate.
diff --git a/src/policyengine/tax_benefit_models/uk/budget_reform_contract.py b/src/policyengine/tax_benefit_models/uk/budget_reform_contract.py
index 8f14c956..b2dc837e 100644
--- a/src/policyengine/tax_benefit_models/uk/budget_reform_contract.py
+++ b/src/policyengine/tax_benefit_models/uk/budget_reform_contract.py
@@ -1257,10 +1257,14 @@ class _WrapperHouseholdRoute:
     route = "wrapper.household"
 
     def _call(self, case: Case, year: int, reform, variables: Sequence[str]):
-        import policyengine as pe
+        # Import the country module itself, not ``policyengine.uk``: callers such
+        # as scripts/check_uk_candidate.py set POLICYENGINE_SKIP_COUNTRY_IMPORTS,
+        # which leaves ``policyengine.uk`` as None. It is the same
+        # ``calculate_household`` that ``policyengine.uk`` exposes.
+        from policyengine.tax_benefit_models import uk as pe_uk
 
         household = case.household
-        return pe.uk.calculate_household(
+        return pe_uk.calculate_household(
             people=[dict(person) for person in household.people],
             benunit=dict(household.benunit),
             household=dict(household.household),
diff --git a/tests/test_uk_budget_reform_contract.py b/tests/test_uk_budget_reform_contract.py
index a0a6b80d..18895f3c 100644
--- a/tests/test_uk_budget_reform_contract.py
+++ b/tests/test_uk_budget_reform_contract.py
@@ -9,6 +9,10 @@
 
 import datetime
 import json
+import os
+import subprocess
+import sys
+import textwrap
 
 import pytest
 
@@ -2004,3 +2008,45 @@ def array(tag, variable, year):
     order = status[(population.POPULATION_QUERY_ORDER, "unreformed")]
     assert order["status"] == "fail"
     assert order["detail"]["income_tax:2026_matches"] is False
+
+
+def test_the_household_route_runs_when_country_imports_are_skipped():
+    # scripts/check_uk_candidate.py sets POLICYENGINE_SKIP_COUNTRY_IMPORTS=1
+    # before the qualification gates run this contract, and that leaves
+    # ``policyengine.uk`` as None. Reaching the wrapper through it made every
+    # wrapper.household row an error, so every UK candidate was rejected.
+    code = textwrap.dedent(
+        """
+        import json
+        import os
+
+        os.environ["POLICYENGINE_SKIP_COUNTRY_IMPORTS"] = "1"
+        import policyengine
+
+        assert policyengine.uk is None
+        from policyengine.tax_benefit_models.uk.budget_reform_contract import (
+            CASES,
+            evaluate_case,
+        )
+
+        case = next(case for case in CASES if case.id == "april_rate_change")
+        rows = evaluate_case(case, "wrapper.household")
+        print(json.dumps([[row["status"], row.get("detail")] for row in rows]))
+        """
+    )
+    env = {
+        key: value
+        for key, value in os.environ.items()
+        if key != "POLICYENGINE_SKIP_COUNTRY_IMPORTS"
+    }
+    result = subprocess.run(
+        [sys.executable, "-c", code],
+        capture_output=True,
+        text=True,
+        env=env,
+        timeout=900,
+    )
+    assert result.returncode == 0, result.stderr
+    rows = json.loads(result.stdout.strip().splitlines()[-1])
+    assert rows
+    assert [row for row in rows if row[0] == "error"] == [], rows