A "non-dependant" is a person aged 18 years or over. They include adult children and relatives or friends who live with you, (not partners). A lodger is someone who lives with you on a commercial basis and is not regarded as a non-dependant. Joint owners, tenants and professional carers are also not considered to be non-dependants.

If you do have non-dependants living with you, your benefit will be reduced by a specific amount relevant to their income (for a couple, only one deduction will be made based on their combined income).

No deduction is made if the claimant is blind or in receipt of Attendance Allowance or the care component of Disability Living Allowance.

If you do not provide evidence of your non-dependant's income, the council will assume the highest deduction is appropriate.

You must remember to advise the Council of any changes in the income of your non-dependants, or if they move away or go into hospital.

The responsibility to advise the Council of any changes is yours and not the non-dependant's.

The amounts deducted are different for Council Tax Benefit and Housing Benefit and in some cases there is no reduction, e.g. if they are on Income Support (but there is a deduction from Housing Benefit if they are 25 or more).

A table of deductions is set out below.

Want to know more? Please contact us.