Your benefit may be affected if you have non-dependants living in your household.
Non-dependant deductions for Housing Benefit and Council Tax Reduction
The Government expects non-dependants to contribute towards the running expenses of the household, which includes rent and/or council tax. Many householders receive money from their non-dependants to cover housekeeping costs.
Even if the non-dependant only pays a small amount or nothing towards the household costs, fixed sum deductions will still be made from the householder's Housing Benefit and/or Council Tax Reduction.
These deductions are calculated on the non-dependant's gross income. If the non-dependant's income increases or decreases, this may affect the deduction.
It is important to notify us of any changes in the non-dependant's income.
What is a non-dependant
A non-dependant is someone who lives with you on a non-commercial basis. This might be :
- an adult son/daughter
- a relative
- a friend
Renting a room to a close relative is always considered non-commercial.
Non-dependants do not include:
- dependant members of your family, for example, a partner or child for whom you get child benefit
- lodgers or boarders who live with you on a commercial basis
- tenants or sub-tenants
- people who own part or all of your home, i.e. a joint owner
- professional carers
Non-dependant deduction amount
The amount of the deduction depends on the level of gross income the non-dependant receives.
| Category | Amount |
|---|---|
| Under 25 and on IS or JSA (IB) or ESA (IR) which does not include an amount for the support component or work-related activity component or UC where the award is calculated on the basis that the non-dependant does not have any earned income | Nil |
| Aged 25 or over and on IS/JSA(IB) and UC, or aged 18 or over and not in remunerative work | £19.30 |
| In receipt of the main phase ESA (IR) | £19.30 |
| In receipt of Pension Credit | Nil |
| Aged 18 or over and works more than 16 hours a week, earning: | |
| Gross weekly income £175.99 or less | 19.30 |
| Gross weekly income not less than £176 but less than £255.99 | £44.40 |
| Gross weekly income not less than £256 but less than £333.99 | £60.95 |
| Gross weekly income not less than £334 but less than £449.99 | £99.65 |
| Gross weekly income not less than £445 but less than £553.99 | £113.50 |
| Gross weekly income not less than £554 | £124.55 |
| Category | Amount |
|---|---|
| Under 25 and on IS or JSA (IB) or ESA (IR) which does not include an amount for the support component or work-related activity component or UC where the award is calculated on the basis that the non-dependant does not have any earned income |
Nil |
| Aged 25 or over and on IS/JSA(IB) and UC, or aged 18 or over and not in remunerative work | 4.90 |
| In receipt of main phase ESA (IR) | 4.90 |
| In receipt of Pension Credit | Nil |
|
Aged 18 or over and works more than 16 hours a week, including those in receipt of universal credit whose award includes earnings, earning: Gross weekly income not less than £256.00 but less than £444.99 Gross weekly income not less than £445 but less than £553.99 Gross weekly income not less than £554 |
£4.90 £10.05 £12.60 £15.10 |
| Others aged 18 or over | £4.90 |
When we won't deduct for non-dependants
We will not apply a non-dependant deduction if you or your partner are:
- registered blind
- In receipt of attendance Allowance
- In receipt of the care component of the Disability Living Allowance
- In receipt of the standard or enhanced rate of the daily living component of the Personal Independence Payment
No deduction is made if the non-dependant:
- gets a work-based training allowance
- usually lives somewhere else
- has been a hospital inpatient for more than 52 weeks
- is a prisoner or otherwise detained
- is a full-time student during the period of study
- is under 18
Deductions are not made from Housing Benefit when the non-dependant is under 25 and in receipt of:
- Income Support
- Income-Based Jobseekers Allowance
- Income-Related Employment and Support Allowance Assessment Phase
- Universal Credit with no earned income
- Pension Credit
Deductions are not made from Council Tax Reduction if the non-dependant is any age and in receipt of one the above benefits, unless:
You, or your partner if you have one, are in receipt of Universal Credit. In that case deductions are made based on the non-dependant’s income unless they are under 25 and in receipt of Universal Credit, that does not include any earned income, in which case no non dependant deduction is made.
