Important changes to housing benefit from April 2011 affecting claimants who have other adults living with them

(See also important changes to Local Housing Allowance)

From April 2011 there will be important changes for people getting Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit who have adults, other than their partner, living with them.  Adults who live with a person claiming Housing or Council Tax Benefit are known as “non dependants”.

Deductions are usually made from a claimant’s Housing and Council Tax Benefit if non dependants live with them.

Separate deductions are applied to both Housing and Council Tax Benefit.

The amount deducted depends on the non dependant’s income.

Because of Government changes these deductions will increase steeply from April 2011. This means tenants whose Housing Benefit is reduced because non dependants live with them, will get less Benefit from April 2011 and so, will have to pay more towards their rent.

The non dependant deductions to be applied to Housing Benefit from April 2011 are shown in the table below:

There is no deduction for non dependants when the claimant or their partner is either:

• registered blind or
• gets attendance allowance or the care component of Disability Living Allowance for themselves or their partner)