Who are non-dependants?
Non-dependants are adults who normally share your accommodation with you but are not dependent on you for financial support.
Examples of non-dependants could be:
- Grown up children who still live with you
- Other adult relatives who live with you
- Adult friends who live with you.
People not treated as non-dependants because they are not counted as part of your household include:
- Carers employed by a charity that charges for the service
- Joint tenants
- Sub-tenants, or tenants of people who own their house
- Boarders
- Landlords or landladies and their families.
Why are non-dependants important in Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit?
The law says that we must take a set amount off your Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit for each non-dependant who lives with you. There are six different amounts depending on the income of the non-dependant.
Non-dependants are expected to pay towards the household costs, and some of what they pay will be for the rent or council tax. A deduction is made from your Housing Benefit or Council Tax Benefit because of this, even if the non-dependant doesn’t pay you.
When are non-dependants deductions not made?
Non-dependant deductions are not made where:
- You or your partner are registered blind or treated as blind
- You or your partner are getting the care component of Disability Living Allowance or Attendance Allowance for you or your partner
- The non-dependant is under 18
- The non-dependant’s normal home is somewhere else
- The non-dependant is a full-time student. For Housing Benefit, but not Council Tax Benefit, deductions may be made during the summer vacation
- The non-dependant is a prisoner
- The non-dependant has been a patient in hospital for 52 weeks or more
- In Council Tax Benefit the non-dependant is on Income Support or Income Based Jobseeker’s Allowance.
- In Housing Benefit the non-dependant is under 25 and on Income Support or Income Based Jobseeker’s Allowance.
How much are the non-dependants deductions?
The amounts taken off are given in the chart below. Because council tenants are only charged rent over 48 weeks of the year, the non-dependant deductions are slightly higher. These are shown in the second column. These amounts apply until April 2007 only
Non dependant deductions table
|
Non-dependant’s income |
Housing Benefit Deduction |
Housing Benefit Deduction for Council Tenants |
Council Tax Benefit Deduction |
|
Non-dependant in work with gross income of £353.00 a week or more |
£47.75 |
£51.73 |
£6.95 |
|
Non-dependant in work with gross income of between £283.00 and £352.99 a week |
£43.50 |
£47.12 |
£5.80 |
|
Non-dependant in work with gross income of between £213.00 and £282.99 a week |
£38.20 |
£41.30 |
£4.60 |
|
Non-dependant in work with gross income of between £164.00 and £212.99 a week |
£23.35 |
£25.30 |
£4.60 |
|
Non-dependant in work with gross income of between £111.00 and £163.99 a week |
£17.00 |
£18.42 |
£2.30 |
|
Non-dependant in work with gross income of under £111.00 a week |
£7.40 |
£8.02 |
£2.30 |
|
Non-dependants not working more than 16 paid hours a week |
£7.40 |
£8.02 |
£2.30 |
|
Non-dependants aged 25 or over and on Income Support or Income Based Jobseeker’s allowance |
£7.40 |
£8.02 |
Nil |
|
Non-dependants aged under 25 and on Income Support or Income Based Jobseeker’s allowance |
Nil |
Nil |
Nil |
For more information you can download our Non-dependant deductions leaflet available in English, Hindi, Punjabi and Urdu. These leaflets contain figures for 2006/07 claims. Please use the income bands shown above for 2007/08.
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