Advice for non-dependants
Are you a non-dependant?
A non-dependant is often, but not always, a young person who has finished school and is now living at home and is either at college, university, work, looking for work or unable to work. Maybe you have finished college or university somewhere else in the country and are back living at home?
Sound like you?
In some cases, if you are aged 18 or over we make a deduction from your parent or guardian’s Housing Benefit to represent the contribution we expect you to make to your household to cover some of the rent. This is called a non-dependant deduction. The amount deducted depends on what you are doing or how much you are earning and ranges from £14.80 to £95.45.
Do I have to pay?
The council or any other organisation cannot make you contribute to your household but it's important that you aware of this deduction as it will have an impact. Now that you've finished school and are living at home, your parents or guardians are getting less in benefits and have less money to pay the rent.
What if I don’t help?
Even if you don’t contribute, their benefits will still be reduced. Living in a low-income home is challenging and the need to manage your money is very important. If your parent or guardian is getting less money because you are living there then that will have an impact on them being able to afford to live. If you have the money but choose not to contribute to the household then they may struggle to pay the rent and get into rent arrears or have to cut back on food, heating and other bills.
No deduction is taken if you are
- 16 or 17 years old
- a full-time student
- staying temporarily but have a home elsewhere, for example visiting a relative
- in hospital for more than 52 weeks. Separate periods in hospital are added together and are treated as a single period if they are separated by intervals of 28 days or less
Things you can do to support your family income
- work and keep your parent/guardian regularly informed of all changes in your income (up or down) so they can tell us, and regularly pay them the amount of the non-dependant deduction we make
- study full-time (no deduction made); or
- apply for and comply with the conditions for any relevant benefit you may be entitled to (Universal Credit (with no earned income), income-related Jobseeker's Allowance, income-related Employment Support Allowance Assessment Phase or Income Support) - no non-dependant deduction from Housing Benefit is made for those under the age of 25 claiming these benefits.
If this applies to you and a deduction is taken from your household's benefit then you should be contributing to the rent if you are able to do so.
Other organisations such as the Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) may be able to help with any questions that you might have.