Non-dependant deductions

Non-dependants (adults who live with you) may affect your Housing Benefit and Council Tax Support

Over-18s living with you - relatives, friends and children who have left school or college who you no longer get Child Benefit for - are expected to pay towards housing costs and Council Tax.

They are called non-dependants. You must tell us about all their weekly income and provide evidence. This includes wages before deductions for tax and national insurance, Universal Credit, benefits, pensions, tax credits and interest on savings.

You must also tell us about changes affecting non-dependants such as income changes, moving out or new people moving in.

We take set amounts off your benefit for them based on their income, even if they don't give you anything for housing costs. If you can't tell us their income, the law says we must still make a deduction.

If your non-dependants are a couple, we take one deduction: the higher of the deductions that apply. If both are working, we base the deduction on their joint income.

When we don't make deductions for non-dependants

We don't make non-dependant deductions if you or your partner are registered blind or getting one of these benefits:

Attendance Allowance
Constant Attendance Allowance
Disability Living Allowance - care component
Personal Independence Payment - the standard or enhanced rate of the daily living component
Armed Forces Independence Payment

We don't make any deduction if the non-dependant:

Is under 18
Is under 25 and on Income Support or income-based Jobseeker's Allowance or income-related Employment Support Allowance (assessment phase) or Universal Credit based on no earned income
Is on work-based training for young people and getting a training allowance
Is a full-time student or student nurse
Has been in hospital for more than 52 weeks
Is in legal custody (on remand or after being sentenced)
Usually lives elsewhere - but unless you tell us their permanent address, we will make a deduction
Is getting Pension Credit
Is your (or your partner's) son, daughter, step-son or step-daughter in the armed forces, while they are deployed on operations within the UK and abroad. We will still make the deduction while they are living at home with you (unless you are in the first group above)

In addition, we don't make a deduction from Council Tax Support if the non-dependant:

Is under 25 and on income-related Employment Support Allowance (main phase)
Is under 25 on Income Support or income-based Jobseeker's Allowance or income-related Employment Support Allowance (main phase or assessment phase) or Universal Credit based on no earned income
Is an apprentice in employment to learn a trade, profession or business and studying for an accredited qualification and paid no more than £195 a week before tax and insurance
Is a student working during the summer holidays
Is severely mentally disabled/impaired and getting certain disability benefits or allowances. We also need a doctor's certificate as evidence of their condition. There may also be a council tax discount available if they are over 18

If you have a lodger or if a carer lives with you

Lodgers

A lodger isn't a non-dependant. They live with you on a commercial basis and we treat their rent as your income, to work out your benefit. You still need to tell us about them.

Carers

Someone living at your property to care for you or your partner, employed by a charitable or voluntary organisation and paid by you or by a public body (like the Council) does not count as a non-dependant. We won't make a deduction from your benefit for them.

If you have regular overnight care provided by someone who does not live with you but has use of a separate bedroom when they stay overnight to care for you, we need to know about this to help us decide how much help you can get with your rent.

Special rules for over 65s (easements)

If you or your partner are aged 65 or over and neither is getting Income Support, income-based Jobseeker's Allowance or income-related Employment Support Allowance we will

Delay making deductions for new non-dependants for 26 weeks.
Delay increasing deductions for 26 weeks where your non-dependant has a change of circumstances. If the change means deductions reduce, we will reduce them straightaway if you tell us in time.