Southwark Council Tax Non-Dependant Deduction Rates 2026/27: What You'll Lose

What Is a Non-Dependant Deduction?

When other adults live in your household who aren't your partner, Southwark Council assumes they're contributing toward the Council Tax — even if they're not actually paying you anything. The council reduces your CTR award by a fixed weekly amount for each non-dependant, based on that person's gross weekly income.

Non-dependants are typically grown-up children still living at home, elderly parents, siblings, or other relatives sharing the property. They're anyone who isn't your spouse, civil partner, or cohabiting partner, and who isn't a dependent child.

These deductions come straight off the top of your calculated CTR award. They're applied after the means test, so even if the rest of the calculation gives you a generous reduction, non-dependant deductions can eat a significant chunk of it.

The 2026/27 Rates for Southwark

Southwark applies these weekly deductions for working-age claimants:

Pension-age claimants face higher deduction rates at each band — for example, £5.20 for a non-dependant earning under £236 per week, rising to £15.95 for those earning £511 or more.

When Your Adult Child Moves Back Home

This is the most common trigger. A 19-year-old who has finished university returns home or a grown child moves back after a relationship breakdown. Even if they earn nothing and pay nothing toward bills, Southwark applies the minimum £3.74 weekly deduction — that's about £194 per year knocked off your CTR award.

If they're working and earning £408 or more per week (roughly £21,000 gross per year), the deduction jumps to £11.36 per week — nearly £591 per year. For a household already on a tight budget, that's a substantial hit.

The deduction applies per non-dependant, so two adult children earning decent wages could cost you over £1,100 per year in lost CTR.

Who's Exempt from Deductions

No deduction applies if the non-dependant is:

• Under 18 years old
• A full-time student (during term time and short vacations)
• Receiving a passported benefit — Income Support, income-based JSA, income-related ESA, Universal Credit with zero earned income, or Pension Credit

No deduction applies to any non-dependant in the household if the CTR claimant or their partner receives:

• PIP daily living component
• DLA care component (middle or highest rate)
• Attendance Allowance

That last rule is an important blanket protection. If you or your partner receives one of those disability benefits, non-dependant deductions are wiped out entirely — regardless of how many non-dependants live with you or what they earn.

Proving a Non-Dependant's Income

Southwark needs evidence of each non-dependant's gross weekly income. You'll typically need to provide their recent pay slips or a letter from their employer. If they're on a passported benefit, you'll need proof of that benefit.

The deduction is based on gross income — before tax and National Insurance — not take-home pay. A non-dependant earning £420 per week gross triggers the top-tier deduction even if their net pay after deductions is much lower.

If you can't get proof of the non-dependant's income (they refuse to share it, for example), contact Southwark to ask what alternative evidence it accepts. The deduction is based on gross income, so providing evidence of the actual figure can show whether a lower band applies.

Strategies to Minimise the Impact

There's no way to opt out of non-dependant deductions — they're a structural part of the scheme. But knowing how they work lets you make informed decisions:

• If a non-dependant is close to a band boundary (say, earning £185 per week), a small increase in hours could tip them from the £3.74 band to the £7.52 band.
• A non-dependant who enrolls full-time in education becomes exempt from deductions during their course.
• If a non-dependant successfully claims UC with zero earned income, the deduction drops to nil.

The Southwark Council Tax Reduction guide includes a non-dependant deduction calculator worksheet that helps you work out the exact impact on your award before reporting the change.

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