Bradford Council Tax Non-Dependant Deductions Explained

If another adult lives in your household and you are claiming Council Tax Reduction in Bradford, the council subtracts a fixed weekly amount from your maximum CTR award — even if that person contributes nothing toward the bills. These non-dependant deductions are one of the least understood parts of the scheme, and for households with adult children living at home or other adults sharing the property, they can cut hundreds of pounds from an annual award.

Who Counts as a Non-Dependant

A non-dependant is any person aged 18 or older who normally lives in your home and is not your partner, a lodger paying you a commercial rent, or a commercial tenant.

The most common non-dependant is an adult child who has finished education and is still living at home. But it can also be a sibling, parent, friend, or any other adult sharing your household.

Crucially, the deduction is based on the non-dependant's gross income — not on whether they actually hand over any money for council tax. A son earning £300 per week who pays you nothing toward the bills still triggers the same deduction as one who pays their share.

How Much Is Deducted

Non-dependant deductions follow fixed tiers in Bradford's CTR scheme, based on the non-dependant's gross weekly income. The scheme sets the weekly amounts and income thresholds for each financial year. For 2026/27, the tiers are structured as bands — a non-dependant earning between one threshold and the next attracts the deduction rate for that band.

The lowest tier applies to non-dependants earning below the first threshold. Bradford's scheme makes no deduction for non-dependants receiving Income Support, Pension Credit, income-based JSA, or income-related ESA. At the higher end, a non-dependant with gross weekly income above the top band triggers a deduction that can wipe out a substantial portion of the CTR award.

The deduction is subtracted from the maximum CTR amount (72.5% of Band A liability in Bradford for 2026/27) before the income taper is applied. In practice, this means a non-dependant deduction hits hardest for claimants whose own income is low enough to qualify for maximum CTR — exactly the households that can least afford the reduction.

When the Deduction Is Waived

Bradford's CTR scheme provides automatic exemptions from non-dependant deductions in specific circumstances:

• The claimant or their partner receives PIP Daily Living Component, DLA Care Component (middle or highest rate), or Attendance Allowance. If you or your partner qualify for any of these, all non-dependant deductions are removed entirely — regardless of how many non-dependants live in the household or what they earn.
• The non-dependant receives Income Support, Pension Credit, income-based JSA, or income-related ESA. Bradford's scheme makes no deduction for these individuals.
• The non-dependant is under 18 — they are not a non-dependant at all and no deduction applies.
• The non-dependant is a full-time student — enrolled on a qualifying course, they are disregarded for deduction purposes.
• The non-dependant is staying temporarily and their normal home is elsewhere.

If you believe a non-dependant deduction has been applied incorrectly — for example, the council has used the wrong income band, or has not applied an exemption that should apply — you can request a revision of the decision within one month.

Practical Implications

A household with two adult children working full-time could face two separate non-dependant deductions that together exceed the remaining CTR award, effectively reducing the council tax support to zero even though the claimant's own income is very low.

This is one reason the guide's non-dependant deduction worksheet exists: it walks through each adult in the household, identifies whether they trigger a deduction, establishes the correct tier, and checks for exemptions. Getting the deduction wrong — or failing to report when a non-dependant moves out — means paying more council tax than necessary.

When a non-dependant moves out or a new adult moves in, report the change to Bradford Council immediately and within 21 days. Under Bradford's working-age scheme, most such changes take effect from the first day of the reduction week following the change; the council then recalculates your award under the scheme's rules. A late report can lead to an overpayment.

The Bradford Council Tax Reduction guide covers the full non-dependant deduction framework, including a printable worksheet for working out your own household's position and checking whether exemptions apply.

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