Housing Benefit rules:
No non-dependant deduction will be made if you or your partner are registered blind, or getting a care component of Disability Living Allowance or a daily living component of Personal Independence Payment or Attendance Allowance, or Armed Forces Independence Payment. This is regardless of how many non-dependants you have living with you and regardless of their income.
If this does not apply to you, then the amount of non-dependant deduction taken off your Housing Benefit will depends on their circumstances, and, if they are working, their gross weekly income.
No non-dependant deduction should be taken from your Housing Benefit award where the non-dependant is:
- Only staying with you temporarily ie your home is not their normal home.
- A full time student, any age (except when they’re working 16 or more hours a week during the summer holidays).
- Under 25 and on Income-Based Jobseekers Allowance (even if this has been sanctioned).
- Under 25 and on Income Support.
- Under 25 and getting Income-Related Employment Support Allowance at the lower rate of £57.90 per week because they are still in the ‘assessment phase’ or appealing against a decision that they are fit for work.
- Under 25 and on Universal Credit, as long as they have no earnings.
- In the Armed Forces and away on operations.
- In prison, either on remand or sentenced.
- Getting Pension Credit. (So if they are Pension Credit age and not getting Pension Credit they should see if they are entitled. Ring 0800 99 1234)
If the non-dependant is working 16 hours or more a week the amount of the non-dependant deduction - ie how much your Housing Benefit is reduced by - depends on their gross weekly income as shown in the table below.
NOTE: if they are currently off work sick or on maternity leave then the non-dependant deduction, regardless of their gross wage will be £15.25 a week (for a 52 week rent year). Your local council won’t know if your non-dependant starts work so make sure you tell them, otherwise you could end up with an overpayment bill.
Non-dep aged 18 or over working 16 hours or more a week
2019-20 rates (from April 2019)
|
Gross Income |
Weekly deduction from Housing Benefit based on a 52 week rent year
|
£451 or more £363.00 - £450.99 £272.00 - £362.99 £209.00 - £271.99 £143.00 - £208.99 Less than £139.00
|
£100.65 £91.70 £80.55 £49.20 £35.85 £15.60
|
For all other non-dependants, a deduction of £15.60 a week (from April 2019) is taken from your Housing Benefit award.
If a deduction is being taken when it shouldn’t, or is being taken at the wrong rate, you could quickly find yourself struggling to pay your rent. It is very important to ensure that you provide your non-dependant details to the local council so that they apply the right rate.