People who live with you (non-dependants)
Find out how non-dependants affect your housing benefit and council tax support.
If you have a non-dependant living with you, your housing benefit and council tax support may be affected.
Who count as non-dependants
Non-dependants are people who normally live with you but don't rely on you for financial support, like:
- grown-up sons or daughters
- elderly relatives.
Who do not count as non-dependants
Others who live with you as family and any children you have fostered are not non-dependants.
These also do not count as non-dependants as they are not considered part of your household:
- carers employed by a charity that charges for the service
- joint tenants
- subtenants
- boarders
- tenants of owner occupiers
- landlords/ladies and their partners.
Non-dependant deductions
Housing Benefit and Council Tax Support are usually reduced for each non-dependant living in your home.
If the non-dependant is working less than 16 hours a week, the lowest deduction will apply.
If the non-dependant is doing paid work for 16 hours or more a week, the level of deduction will depend on the non-dependant's gross income. We will ask to see evidence of this.
When we won't reduce Housing Benefit or Council Tax Support
We won't reduce your Housing Benefit or Council Tax Support if you or your partner are:
- registered blind
- receiving Attendance Allowance
- receiving the care component of Disability Living Allowance
- receiving the daily living component of Personal Independence Payment.
We won't reduce your Housing Benefit or Council Tax Support if the non-dependant is:
- receiving Pension Credit
- under 18
- a full-time student (but if the non-dependant works 16 hours a week or more during summer holidays, there will be a deduction)
- receiving a youth training allowance
- a prisoner
- has been in hospital for 52 weeks or more
- receiving Employment Support Allowance (assessment phase only).
No reduction for Housing Benefit only
We also won't reduce your Housing Benefit if the non-dependent is:
- under 25 and receiving Income Support, Jobseekers Allowance (income based)
- under 25 and entitled to an award of Universal Credit where the award is calculated on the basis that the non-dependant does not have any earned income.
No reduction for Council Tax Support only
We also won't reduce your Council Tax Support if the non-dependent is:
- receiving Income Support, Jobseekers Allowance (income based)
- entitled to an award of Universal Credit where the award is calculated on the basis that the non-dependant does not have any earned income.
A deduction may be delayed for 26 weeks if you or your partner are aged 65 or older and a non-dependant moves into your home or the non-dependant's circumstances change to increase the deduction.
Tell us about a change of circumstances which could affect your benefits.
Housing benefit
| Non-dependant deductions | 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025 weekly deduction | 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2026 weekly deduction |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 25 or over and on Income Support of income-based Job Seeker’s Allowance, or aged 18 or over and not in paid work | £19.30 | £19.65 |
| In receipt of main phase income-related Employment and Support Allowance | £19.30 | £19.65 |
| Aged over 18 and in paid work with gross weekly income of less than £162 | £19.30 | £19.65 |
| Aged over 18 and in paid work with gross weekly income of £162 - £235.99 | £44.40 | £45.15 |
| Aged over 18 and in paid work with gross weekly income of £236 - £307.99 | £60.95 | £62.00 |
| Aged over 18 and in paid work with gross weekly income of £308 - £409.99 | £99.65 | £101.35 |
| Aged over 18 and in paid work with gross weekly income of £410 - £510.99 | £113.50 | £115.45 |
| Aged over 18 and in paid work with gross weekly income of £511 or more | £124.55 | £126.65 |
Council Tax support
| Non-dependant gross weekly income (before tax) | 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025 weekly deduction | 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2026 weekly deduction |
|---|---|---|
| In paid work and getting Pension Credit | £0 | £0 |
| Less than £256 | £4.90 | £5.00 |
| £256 to £444.99 | £10.05 | £10.20 |
| £445 to £553.99 | £12.60 | £12.80 |
| £554 and over | £15.10 | £15.35 |
| Any non-dependant that does not fit in above categories such as people working fewer than 16 hours or receiving other state benefits | £4.90 | £5.00 |