Buckinghamshire Council Tax Non-Dependant Deduction: The £5 Weekly Charge Explained

If an adult other than your partner lives in your household, Buckinghamshire Council will reduce your Council Tax Reduction award by a fixed amount for each one. Under the 2026/27 scheme, that deduction is a flat £5.00 per week per non-dependant — roughly £260 per year. Even if you qualify for a 100% discount, non-dependant deductions can leave you with a significant residual bill.

Who Counts as a Non-Dependant

A non-dependant is any person aged 18 or over who lives in your home and is not your partner. The most common examples are adult children who've finished education, elderly parents who've moved in, siblings, or other relatives sharing the property.

Under the old means-tested scheme, non-dependant deductions varied by the non-dependant's income — higher earners triggered larger deductions. The 2026/27 scheme simplified this to a single flat rate: £5.00 per week regardless of what the non-dependant earns. A son earning £500/week and one earning £150/week generate the same deduction.

How the Deduction Works

The £5.00 weekly charge is subtracted from your calculated CTR award, not added to your council tax bill directly. Here's how it plays out:

Say you qualify for Band 1 (100% discount) on a Band D property with an annual council tax of roughly £2,100. Without non-dependants, your CTR covers the full bill. With one working adult child living at home, the council deducts £5.00/week (£260/year) from your CTR award, leaving you with £260 to pay across the year.

With two non-dependants and no exemptions, the deduction doubles to £520/year. Three would be £780. Each additional non-dependant chips away at your discount by the same fixed amount.

Who's Exempt from the Deduction

The deduction is waived entirely — set to £0 — in several circumstances:

If the CTR claimant (you or your partner) receives:

• PIP daily living component
• DLA care component
• Attendance Allowance
• Armed Forces Independence Payment (AFIP)
• Or is registered blind

This is the broadest exemption and the one most commonly missed. If you receive PIP daily living, no non-dependant deduction applies regardless of how many adults live with you or how much they earn.

If the non-dependant themselves:

• Receives Income Support, income-based JSA, income-related ESA, Pension Credit, or Universal Credit with zero earned income
• Is a full-time student or apprentice
• Is a member of the Armed Forces deployed on operations
• Is otherwise disregarded under council tax legislation (for example, someone who is severely mentally impaired)

Each non-dependant is assessed individually. In a household with two non-dependants — one working full-time and one on Income Support — only the working non-dependant generates a deduction. The one on Income Support is exempt.

Providing Evidence

The council needs proof of each non-dependant's status to decide whether the deduction applies or is waived. This means providing documentation for every adult in the household as part of your CTR application — income evidence, benefit award letters, student confirmation letters, or armed forces deployment records.

If you don't provide this evidence within the 21-day submission window, the council will apply the full £5.00/week deduction by default. Getting the exemption applied means actively proving the non-dependant's qualifying status.

When Non-Dependants Move In or Out

Changes in who lives with you are reportable events. If a non-dependant moves in, you have 21 days to notify the council. A new deduction will be applied from the date of the change. If a non-dependant moves out, reporting the change should result in the deduction being removed and your CTR award increasing.

Similarly, if a non-dependant's circumstances change — they start receiving Universal Credit with zero earnings, or they begin a full-time course — reporting that change can convert a deducted non-dependant into an exempt one.

For a full walkthrough of the non-dependant rules and how to calculate your net CTR award after deductions, see our Buckinghamshire Council Tax Reduction guide.

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