Plymouth Council Tax Reduction Non-Dependant Deduction Explained

If another adult lives in your home and they are not your partner, not a joint tenant, and not paying you commercial rent, Plymouth City Council treats them as a non-dependant. That means money is deducted from your Council Tax Reduction before it reaches your bill — even if that person contributes nothing to the household.

How Non-Dependant Deductions Work in Plymouth

Plymouth's 2026/27 Council Tax Support scheme applies a flat-rate non-dependant deduction of £4.90 per week for every qualifying non-dependant adult in your property. Unlike some other councils that scale deductions based on the non-dependant's income, Plymouth uses a single rate regardless of what that person earns.

The deduction is taken from your calculated Council Tax Reduction award, not from the Council Tax bill itself. So if your income band gives you an 80% reduction worth £24 per week and you have one non-dependant, the council subtracts £4.90 to give you a final award of £19.10.

Two non-dependants living with you means two deductions — £9.80 off your weekly award.

Who Counts as a Non-Dependant

A non-dependant is typically an adult son or daughter who still lives at home, an elderly parent who has moved in, a sibling, or a friend staying long-term. The test is straightforward: they live in your property, they are not your partner, they are not named on the tenancy or mortgage as a joint liable person, and they do not pay you a market-rate rent.

People who do not count as non-dependants (and trigger no deduction):

• Your partner (their income is assessed jointly with yours instead)
• Joint tenants or joint owners named on the liability
• Lodgers paying commercial rent
• Full-time students
• Anyone under 18
• Someone who normally lives elsewhere and is only staying temporarily

When the Deduction Is Waived

Plymouth waives non-dependant deductions entirely if you or your partner receive any of the following:

• PIP Daily Living Component (either rate)
• DLA Care Component at the middle or highest rate
• Attendance Allowance

If you qualify for one of these disability benefits, every non-dependant deduction on your account is removed — it does not matter how many other adults live with you or how much they earn. This protection exists because the government considers that households receiving these benefits already face additional costs that the non-dependant deduction would unfairly compound.

The Practical Impact

For a household that qualifies for 80% Council Tax Reduction on a Band B property in Plymouth, the weekly award before deductions is roughly £24.62. One non-dependant deduction of £4.90 reduces that to £19.72 — adding about £255 a year to what you pay. Two non-dependants would cost an extra £510 annually.

If the deduction pushes your finances into genuine hardship, Plymouth's Exceptional Hardship Fund may be able to help — but only if you already have a Council Tax Support award in payment. The council assesses hardship applications on a case-by-case basis.

What to Do If Your Non-Dependant Moves Out

Report the change to Plymouth City Council as soon as it happens. The deduction will be removed from your next assessment, and your Council Tax Reduction will increase accordingly. Failing to report changes promptly risks overpayment demands later, which the council can recover from future awards.

The Plymouth Council Tax Reduction Guide covers non-dependant deductions alongside every other element of the scheme — income bands, capital rules, disregards, and worked examples for households with and without non-dependants.

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