Surrey Welfare Rights Unit

Housing Benefit and non-dependants

The change from being part of your benefit household to being a non-dependant adult may affect your Housing Benefit claim. If you are receiving Housing Benefit most 18 year olds are expected to pay a ‘non-dependant deduction’ to you towards your rent.  Your Housing Benefit (HB) payment is reduced by the amount of the non-dependent deduction, even if they are not able to, or do not contribute. There are exceptions for non-dependants who are full-time students or under 25 on Universal Credit with no earned income.  In this situation no deduction is made.

No non-dependant deduction is made if you or your partner are in receipt of the care component of Disability Living Allowance (DLA), the daily living component of Personal Independence Payment (PIP) or Attendance Allowance or are certified as severely sight impaired or blind by a consultant ophthalmologist.