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Benefits - Non Dependants

What is a Non-dependant?

People who normally share your accommodation but who are not dependent on you for financial support are known as 'non-dependants'.

Adult sons or daughters or other relatives living in your household are classed as non-dependants.

Anyone else who lives in your household that is not related to you can also be classed as a non-dependant.

For Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit purposes, some people don't count as non-dependants, such as:

• Carers (employed by a charity that makes charges)
• Joint tenants
• Sub tenants
• Boarders
• Tenants of owner occupiers
• Landlords and their partners

Any non-dependants that live with you can affect the amount of Housing or Council Tax Benefit
you may receive.

Deductions are usually made from your benefit for non-dependants over the age of 18.

How much will the deduction be?

The amount we deduct from your benefit depends on the income of the non-dependant, whether they are working and how many hours they work each week.

If the non-dependant is working less than 16 hours a week, the lowest deduction usually applies. If they are doing paid work for 16 or more hours a week, the level of the deduction will depend on their gross income. (This means income before stoppages like tax and National Insurance contributions).

The latest deductions are detailed below: -

Deductions from April 2006

Housing Benefit

Non-dependant aged over 18, working 16 hours a week or more with gross income of:-	Weekly Deduction
Less than £101.00	£7.40
£101.00 to £149.99	£17.00
£150.00 to £193.99	£23.35
£194.00 to £257.99	£38.20
£258.00 to £321.99	£43.50
£322.00 or more	£47.75
Person in receipt of Pension Credit or aged 25 or over and on Income Support or Income Based Job Seekers Allowance or aged 18 or over and not in remunerative work.	£7.40
Person in receipt of Income Support or Job Seekers Allowance Under 25	Nil

Council Tax Benefit

Non-dependant aged over 18, working 16 hours a week or more, with gross income of:

Less than £150.00	£2.30
£150.00 to £257.99	£4.60
£258.00 to £321.99	£5.80
£322.00 or more	£6.95
Person in receipt of Pension credit and in remunerative work	£2.30
Person in receipt of Pension Credit and not in remunerative work or receiving Income support or Job Seekers Allowance	Nil
Others aged 18 or over	£2.30

Are deductions always made?

No deductions will be made from your Benefit for non-dependants living with you if any of the following conditions apply:

• You or your partner are registered blind
• You or your partner are receiving the care component of Disability Living Allowance or Attendance Allowance in respect of yourself or your partner
• The non-dependant is aged under 18
• The non-dependant is a full time student (but deductions may be made during the summer holiday if they are working)
• The non-dependant is in prison
• The non-dependant normally lives elsewhere
• The non-dependant has been a patient in hospital for 52 weeks or more.