Guide to making a claim for Housing Benefit or Council Tax Support
Other adults that live with you (non-dependants)
Adults that live with you in your property may affect your claim for Housing Benefit and Council Tax Support.
If they are aged 18 years or over, live with you, and you do not make money from this arrangement (eg an adult child or elderly relative) then they are called a ‘non-dependant’ person.
For most non-dependant people living in your property we reduce your Housing Benefit or Council Tax Support by a certain amount - called a non-dependant deduction.
If 2 non-dependant people are married to each other (or are treated as a couple) then only 1 deduction is made for them using their joint income.
Non-dependant deductions rates
The amount of the weekly deduction from your Housing Benefit and Council Tax Support depends on the circumstances and income of the non-dependants living at your property.
By income we normally mean all of your non-dependants gross pay (pay before tax and other deductions), social security benefits and the interest paid on savings.
We do not include Attendance Allowance, Personal Independence Payment, Disability Living Allowance, Maintenance in respect of a child, or payments from The Macfarlane Trusts, The Fund, The Eileen Trust and the independent Living Fund.
If you share your home with a joint tenant or joint owner and the non-dependant person shares the home with both of you then your benefit will be reduced by half of the non-dependant deduction.
If you are of state pension age changes to non-dependant deductions may not alter your claim for 26 weeks. However you should still advise us of the change when it happens and we will advise you of the date the change alters your claim.
The amount of deduction changes in April each year.
Non-dependant deductions for 2024-25
*The gross income levels used in these tables are made up of gross pay (before any deductions) and any other income received (eg. tax credits, interest on savings)
| Type of benefit | Housing Benefit deduction | Council Tax Support deduction |
|---|---|---|
| Pension Credit | ||
| Savings or Guarantee element | £0.00 | £0.00 |
| Universal Credit | ||
| Aged under 25 not working | £0.00 | £0.00 |
| Aged 25 or over not working | £19.30 | £0.00 |
| Aged 18 or over working under 16 hours per week | £19.30 | £4.90 |
| Aged 18 or over working 16 hours or more per week | see below for gross earnings | see below for gross earnings |
| Income Support | ||
| Aged under 25 | £0.00 | £0.00 |
| Aged 25 or over | £19.30 | £0.00 |
| Job Seekers Allowance | ||
| Contribution based (any age) | £19.30 | £4.90 |
| Income based aged under 25 | £0.00 | £0.00 |
| Income based aged 25 or over | £19.30 | £0.00 |
| Employment & Support Allowance | ||
| Contribution based (any age) | £19.30 | £4.90 |
| Income related assessment phase aged under 25 | £0.00 | £0.00 |
| Income related main phase aged under 25 | £19.30 | £0.00 |
| Income related aged 25 or over | £19.30 | £0.00 |
| Aged 18 or over, working 16 hours or more per week | ||
| Gross income under £176.00 | £19.30 | £4.90 |
| Gross income £176.00 to £255.99 | £44.40 | £4.90 |
| Gross income £256.00 to £333.99 | £60.95 | £10.05 |
| Gross income £334.00 to £449.99 | £99.65 | £10.05 |
| Gross income £445.00 to £553.99 | £113.50 | £12.60 |
| Gross income £554.00 and above | £124.55 | £15.10 |
| Any other circumstance not listed above | £19.30 | £4.90 |
The following people are not treated as non-dependants if they live at your property:
- Sub-tenants and boarders who rent a room from you on a commercial basis
- Foster children
- Children that you get Child Benefit for
- Joint tenants or joint owners
- People visiting you who normally live elsewhere
- Carers employed by a charity that charges you for the service
- Your landlord or landlady if they live in the same property as you
If you only share a bathroom, lavatory, hall or passage way with someone they are probably not a non-dependant person.
When a deduction is not applied
No deductions are made for non-dependant people living with you if you or your partner are:
- Registered blind
- Getting Attendance Allowance
- Getting the daily living component of Personal Independence Payment
- Getting the care component of Disability Living Allowance
No deductions are made for an adult child (son, daughter, step son or daughter) in the Armed Forces that are away from home on operations, but who continue to live with their parents when not on duty. However, a non-dependant deduction will be made when they return home from duty.
No deductions are made from Housing Benefit if the non-dependant adult living with you:
- Is aged under 25 years and gets Income Support, Jobseekers Allowance (income based); or Employment and Support Allowance (income related assessment phase)
- Is aged under 25 years, not working and gets Universal Credit
- Gets Pension Credit
- Gets a youth training allowance
- A temporary resident whose normal home is elsewhere
- Has been a hospital in-patient for more than 52 weeks
- Is a prisoner
- Is a student (but a deduction will be made during the summer vacation if they are in work)
No deductions are made from Council Tax Support if the non-dependant adult living with you:
- Gets Income Support, Jobseekers Allowance (income based), or Employment and Support Allowance (income related)
- Gets Universal Credit and is not working
- Gets Pension Credit
- Gets a youth training allowance
- A temporary resident whose normal home is elsewhere
- Has been a hospital in-patient for more than 52 weeks
- Is a prisoner
- Is a student (but a deduction will be made during the summer vacation if they are in work)
- If you receive a council tax discount - your local authority will tell you if this happens.