We reduce Housing Benefit and Council Tax Support for each 'non-dependant' living in your home.
A non-dependant is someone who normally lives with you, and is:
- an adult son or daughter
- a relative
- a friend
For non-dependant couples, we add the income of both members of the couple together to calculate the gross income figure.
Boarders, sub-tenants and joint tenants are not non-dependants.
How we calculate non-dependant benefit deductions
We make fixed deductions from your entitlement to Housing Benefit/Council Tax Support based on the following:
- the non-dependant's age and weekly income, not what they pay for their keep (this is not considered as contributing to your income)
- the rules and amounts for these deductions are set by the government and normally changed each April
Note: Even if the non-dependant doesn't pay for their keep, we still make the non-dependant deduction from your entitlement to Housing Benefit/Council Tax Support.
If a non-dependant moves out, you must provide us with a forwarding address.
Amount deducted from Housing Benefit if working 16 hours or more
For non-dependants aged 18 or over and working on average more than 16 hours per week, we deduct the following amounts (effective from April 2018):
| Gross weekly income of non-dependant | Weekly deduction from Housing Benefit | Weekly deduction from Housing Benefit - with 4 rent free weeks** |
|---|---|---|
| Less than £139.00 | £15.25 | £16.52 |
| £139.00 to £203.99 | £35.00 | £37.92 |
| £204.00 to £264.99 | £48.05 | £52.05 |
| £265.00 to £353.99 | £78.65 | £85.20 |
| £354.00 to £438.99 | £89.55 | £97.01 |
| £439.00 or more | £98.30 | £106.49 |
**We adjust these amounts as shown if you pay your rent over 48 weeks and have 'rent free' weeks (for example, as with most council tenancies).
Amount deducted from Council Tax Support if working 16 hours or more
For non-dependants aged 18 or over and working on average more than 16 hours per week, we deduct the following amounts (effective from April 2018):
| Gross weekly income of non-dependant | Deduction from Council Tax Support |
|---|---|
| Less than £196.95 (or not in remunerative work) | £3.80 |
| £196.95 to £341.39 | £7.65 |
| £341.40 to £424.19 | £9.65 |
| £424.20 or more | £11.55 |
Amount deducted from Housing Benefit/Council Tax Support if working under 16 hours
For non-dependants not in work, or those working under 16 hours per week, we deduct the following amounts (effective from April 2018):
| Other categories of non-dependant income | Weekly deduction from Housing Benefit - (with 4 free weeks)** | Weekly deduction from Council Tax Support |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 25 or over and receiving IS/JSA(IB)/ESA(IR) | £15.25 (£16.52) | Nil |
| Aged 25 or over receiving UC - no earned income | £15.25 (£16.52) | Nil |
| Aged 18 to 24 and receiving IS/JSA(IB)/ESA(IR) (assessment phase) | Nil | Nil |
| Aged 18 to 24 receiving ESA(IR) (main phase) | £15.25 (£16.52) | Nil |
| Aged 18 to 24 receiving UC - no earned income | Nil | Nil |
| Aged 18 or over, not receiving IS/JSA(IB)/ESA(IR) and not in remunerative work | £15.25 (£16.52) | Nil |
| In receipt of Pension Credit | Nil | Nil |
**We adjust these amounts as shown if you pay your rent over 48 weeks and have 'rent free' weeks (for example, as with most council tenancies).
Exceptions and special rules for non-dependant benefit deductions
We do not make deductions for non-dependants if you or your partner:
- are registered blind or were so in the last 28 weeks
- receive Attendance Allowance
- receive Constant Attendance Allowance
- receive the daily living component of Personal Independence Payment
- receive the care component of Disability Living Allowance (at any rate)
We do not make any deductions if the non-dependant:
- is under 18
- is a youth trainee
- is in prison or similar forms of detention
- has been in hospital for 52 weeks or more
- usually lives elsewhere (but you will need to tell us their permanent address, otherwise we may still make the deduction)
- is a full-time student or student nurse (although a Housing Benefit deduction applies if the non-dependant works for 16 hours per week or more during the summer vacation)
Special rules apply to delay deductions for those aged 65 or over if:
- you or your partner are aged 65 or over, and
- a non-dependant moves in (and a deduction would normally apply to them); or
- a non-dependant has a change in circumstances that would mean that a higher deduction should be made
Deductions start 26 weeks after the non-dependant moved in, or 26 weeks from their change in circumstances.
If you think we are deducting an incorrect amount from your Housing Benefit/Council Tax Support, please contact us straight away so that we can check this.