is someone living with you affecting yours??

The changes to Housing Benefit we told you about in the last edition of The Communicator started on the 4th April 2011 - don’t lose out!

Your Housing Benefit might be reduced by a deduction made because of someone who lives with you. This person may be an adult son, daughter, friend or relative and are called ‘non-dependants.’

If you have a non-dependant living with you, you need to make sure that your local authority has the right details about their wages so that the correct amount is deducted from your Housing and Council Tax Benefit. The non-dependant should pay you this shortfall so that you can pay us this amount and stop your rent account going into arrears.

These changes will affect your benefit now, so check that you are getting all your Housing Benefit by talking to us.

If I have a non-dependant living with me, will I always have money deducted?

No, a non-dependant deduction is not made on your rent if you are either:

• registered as blind, or
• you get the care component of Disability Living or Attendance Allowance.

Or, if your non-dependant that lives with you falls into one of the following categories:

• is under 25 and on income-based Income Support, Jobseekers Allowance or Employment Support Allowance;
• on Pension Credit;
• get a Work-Based Learning for Young People training allowance;
• has been in an NHS hospital for over 52 weeks;
• is in prison;
• has their normal home elsewhere;
• is a full time student, but there maybe a deduction made for the work they do during the summer holidays.

How much should my non-dependant pay towards my rent?

See the following tables. The amount will vary depending on how much they earn. Your local authority will ask you details of their gross income (before tax and national insurance).

What happens if my non-dependant doesn’t tell me or the local authority how much they earn?

Usually the local authority will take the highest non-dependant deduction amount from your Housing Benefit. You must make up this shortfall in housing benefit - otherwise, your rent account will go into arrears and you could lose your home!

If you would like to talk to us about how this might affect you, please contact one of our Welfare Benefits Officers on 0300 303 2500  who will be happy to help.