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What are non-dependants?

A non-dependant is someone who lives with the customer other than:

  • their partner
  • someone who pays rent on a commercial basis, eg. a boarder or lodger
  • a dependant child (for whom Child Benefit is in payment)
  • a joint tenant or joint owner

Typically, non-dependants are adult sons or daughters living with their parents, or elderly parents living with one of their children.

Non-dependants must be included in the Housing Benefit and/or Council Tax Support assessment and a deduction is usually taken in respect of any non-dependant aged 18 or over. The deduction that is taken is based on the non-dependant's gross weekly income, and not any 'house keeping' that the non-dependant may (or may not) pay the benefit claimant. The tables below show the weekly deductions for 2018/19 and 2019/20.

2019/20 deductions - Housing Benefit
Non-dependant's circumstancesHousing Benefit Amount
Working 16+ hours per week (in remunerative work):  
 - Gross income £451.00 or more £100.65
 - Gross income between £363.00 & £450.99 £91.70
- Gross income between £272.00 & £362.99 £80.55
 - Gross income between £209.00 & £271.99 £49.20
 - Gross income between £143.00 & £208.99 £35.85
 - Gross income less than £143.00 £15.60
In receipt of Pension Credit £Nil
In receipt of Income Support or income-based Job Seeker's Allowance and aged 25 or over £15.60
In receipt of Income Support or income-based Job Seeker's Allowance and aged under 25 £Nil
In receipt of income-related Employment & Support Allowance (assessment phase) £Nil
In receipt of income-related Employment & Support Allowance (main phase) £15.60
In receipt of contribution-based Employment & Support Allowance (assessment or main phase) £15.60
Others not in remunerative work £15.60
2020/21 deductions - Housing Benefit
Non-dependant's circumstancesHousing Benefit Amount
Working 16+ hours per week (in remunerative work):  
 - Gross income £469.00 or more £102.35
 - Gross income between £377.00 & £468.99 £93.25
 - Gross income between £283.00 & £376.99 £81.90
 - Gross income between £217.00 & £282.99 £50.05
 - Gross income between £149.00 & £216.99 £36.45
 - Gross income less than £149.00 £15.85
In receipt of Pension Credit £Nil
In receipt of Income Support or income-based Job Seeker's Allowance and aged 25 or over £15.85
In receipt of Income Support or income-based Job Seeker's Allowance and aged under 25 £Nil
In receipt of income-related Employment & Support Allowance (assessment phase) £Nil
In receipt of income-related Employment & Support Allowance (main phase) £15.85
In receipt of contribution-based Employment & Support Allowance (assessment or main phase) £15.85
Others not in remunerative work £15.85
2019/20 deductions - Council Tax Support
Non-dependant's circumstancesCouncil Tax Support Amount
Working 16+ hours per week (in remunerative work):  
 - Gross income £447.40 or more £12.20
 - Gross income between £360.10 & £447.39 £10.20
 - Gross income between £207.70 & £360.09 £8.10
 - Gross income less than £207.70 £4.00
In receipt of Pension Credit £Nil
In receipt of Income Support or income-based Job Seeker's Allowance; £Nil
In receipt of income-related Employment & Support Allowance (assessment or main phase) £Nil
In receipt of contribution-based Employment & Support Allowance (assessment or main phase); £4.00
Others not in remunerative work £4.00
2020/21 deductions - Council Tax Support
Non-dependant's circumstancesCouncil Tax Support Amount
Working 16+ hours per week (in remunerative work):  
 - Gross income £469.00 or more £12.40
 - Gross income between £377.00 & £468.99 £10.35
 - Gross income between £217.00 & £376.99 £8.25
 - Gross income less than £216.99 £4.05
In receipt of Pension Credit £Nil
In receipt of Income Support or income-based Job Seeker's Allowance; £Nil
In receipt of income-related Employment & Support Allowance (assessment or main phase) £Nil
In receipt of contribution-based Employment & Support Allowance (assessment or main phase); £4.05
Others not in remunerative work £4.05

There are no deductions taken in the following situations:

  • If the non-dependant is aged under 18
  • When the customer (or their partner) is in receipt of the care component of Disability Living Allowance or Attendance Allowance
  • When the customer is registered blind

A deduction must be taken in respect of each non-dependant. For example, (based on 2020/21 figures) if you have two adult children living with you and each child earns more than £469.00 gross per week, the deductions that must be included in your benefit calculation are:

  • Housing Benefit: 2 x £102.35 = £204.70
  • Council Tax Support: 2 x £12.40 = £24.80

However, if there is a non-dependant couple then their joint weekly income is used to calculate the deduction. For example, if your son and his wife live with you and respectively earn £150.00 and £175.00 gross per week this means their joint gross earnings are £325.00. Consequently, (based on the figures for 2020/21) the deductions would be £81.90 for Housing Benefit and £8.25 for Council Tax Support.

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