Non-Dependant Deductions and Lambeth Council Tax Reduction

If another adult lives in your home — an adult child, a sibling, an elderly parent — Lambeth will deduct a fixed weekly amount from your Council Tax Reduction award. These non-dependant deductions can significantly reduce your discount, and many claimants don't realise they apply until they see a lower-than-expected award on their decision notice.

Who Counts as a Non-Dependant

A non-dependant is any person aged 18 or over who lives in your property and is not:

• Your partner (spouse, civil partner, or cohabiting partner)
• A joint tenant or joint owner with separate council tax liability
• A lodger who pays you commercial rent
• A live-in carer employed by a charity or commercial care agency

An adult child who lives with you and works full-time is the most common non-dependant. So is a sibling, parent, or friend who shares the household.

The Two Deduction Rates

Lambeth's 2026/27 scheme uses a simplified two-tier structure:

Each non-dependant triggers a separate deduction. If your 22-year-old daughter works and your 19-year-old son is on JSA, that's £16 + £10 = £26 deducted from your weekly award. On a modest Band 3 (45%) award of £14/week, two deductions could eliminate your discount entirely.

Exemptions: When the Deduction Is £0

No deduction is applied if you or your partner (not the non-dependant):

• Receive the Daily Living component of PIP (either rate)
• Receive the Care component of DLA (either rate)
• Receive Attendance Allowance
• Receive Armed Forces Independence Payment
• Are registered severely sight-impaired or blind

This is a crucial protection. A disabled claimant receiving PIP Daily Living can have multiple working adults living in their household without any non-dependant deduction touching their award. But you must submit your PIP or DLA award letter as evidence — without it, Lambeth applies the standard deduction by default.

How the Deduction Affects Your Award

The deduction is subtracted after the council calculates your base award. Here's the sequence:

1. Lambeth determines your weekly council tax liability (after any Single Person Discount or disabled band reduction)
2. They apply the percentage from your income band (73.5%, 55%, 45%, 30%, or 15%)
3. The non-dependant deduction is subtracted from that figure

If the deduction reduces your award below £0.01, the award is zero and you receive no discount on your bill. The Discretionary Council Tax Support Hardship Payment is for people currently receiving CTR; if your net award is zero, ask Lambeth whether you meet that requirement before relying on hardship support.

What You Need to Provide

For each non-dependant, Lambeth requires evidence of their employment status:

• Working non-dependant: their recent payslips showing current earnings
• Non-working non-dependant: their benefit award letter (JSA, ESA, UC) or a declaration of zero income

If you claim exemption, submit your own PIP, DLA, Attendance Allowance, or AFIP award letter clearly showing the qualifying component.

Understand the Full Impact

The Lambeth Council Tax Reduction Guide includes a non-dependant deduction worksheet that calculates the total weekly deduction for your household and shows exactly how it interacts with your income band award.

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