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Non Dependant Deductions

The benefit regulations assume that non dependants will make a contribution to the Council Tax and household expenses. Therefore non dependant deductions will be applied to reduce the amount of Council Tax Benefit and housing benefit payable in such cases.

The amount of the deduction will depend on the income of the non dependant.

One deduction is applied for each non dependant in a household, however, a married or unmarried couple will only attract one deduction as their incomes are aggregated.

No deductions will be made in the case of non dependants who are :

• Full time students
• Hospital patients and have been in hospital for over 6 weeks
• In receipt of Income Support or Job Seekers Allowance Income Based (Council Tax Benefit only)
• In receipt of Income Support or Job Seekers Allowance Income Based and aged under 25 (Housing Benefit only)

No deductions will be made if the claimant or partner are blind or are in receipt of Attendance Allowance or of the care component of Disability Living Allowance.

New rules were introduced into the Housing/Council Tax Benefit scheme on 6 October 2003, where a non dependant lives in the household of a person when the claimant or partner is aged 65 or over. The date when the non dependant deduction will be effective will be 26 weeks after:

• a non dependant moves in, or
• the income of an existing non dependant increases so that the amount of the non dependant deduction also increases.

Changes to non dependants circumstances which would increase Housing/Council Tax Benefit will be dealt with under the existing rules - there will therefore not be a delay in increasing the Housing/Council Tax Benefit.