Deductions and Dependency Increases – DWP Benefits
Local Council Tax, Fuel and Housing Benefit deductions and dependency increases applied to benefits and work by the Department for Work and Pensions
See also:
Benefit Rates
Benefits and Allowances for Disabled People Index
Help with Health Costs and Money Issues
Updated April 2023
Non-dependant deductions
People who normally share your accommodation but are not dependent on you for financial support are known as non-dependants. Others who live with you as a family and any children you have fostered do not count as non-dependants.
Any non-dependants who normally share your accommodation could affect the amount of Housing Benefit and Council Tax Support you get whether or not you are also getting Income Support, income-based JSA or Pension Credit.
Non-dependant deductions from Housing Benefit and from Income Support, income-based JSA, income-related ESA and Pension Credit
Deductions |
Rates 2022/23 (£) |
Rates 2023/24 (£) |
Aged 25 and over in receipt of IS and JSA(IB), or any age in receipt of main phase ESA(IR), aged 18 or over, not in remunerative work |
16.45 |
18.10 |
Aged 18 or over and in remunerative work |
Rates 2022/23 (£) |
Rates 2023/24 (£) |
Gross income: less than £162 |
16.45 |
18.10 |
Gross income: £162 to £235.99 |
37.80 |
41.60 |
Gross income: £236 to £307.99 |
51.85 |
57.10 |
Gross income: £308 to £409.99 |
84.85 |
93.40 |
Gross income: £410 to £510.99 |
96.60 |
106.35 |
Gross income: £511 and above |
106.05 |
116.75 |
Deductions from housing benefit
Service charges for fuel
Deductions |
Rates 2022/23 (£) |
Rates 2023/24 (£) |
Heating |
35.25 |
35.25 |
Hot water |
4.10 |
4.10 |
Lighting |
2.85 |
2.85 |
Cooking |
4.10 |
4.10 |
Amount ineligible for meals
3 or more meals a day |
Rates 2022/23 (£) |
Rates 2023/24 (£) |
Single claimant |
30.10 |
33.15 |
Each person in family aged 16 or over |
30.10 |
33.15 |
Each child under 16 |
15.25 |
16.80 |
less than three meals a day |
Rates 2022/23 (£) |
Rates 2023/24 (£) |
Single claimant |
20.05 |
22.10 |
Each person in family aged 16 or over |
20.05 |
22.10 |
Each child under 16 |
10.05 |
11.05 |
Breakfast only – claimant and each member of the family |
3.70 |
4.05 |
Amount for personal expenses (not HB)
Deductions |
Rates 2022/23 (£) |
Rates 2023/24 (£) |
Amount for personal expenses (not HB) |
27.00 |
29.75 |
Third party deductions from IS, JSA(IB), ESA(IR) and Pension Credit
Deductions |
Rates 2022/23 (£) |
Rates 2023/24 (£) |
Arrears of housing, fuel and water costs Council Tax etc. and deductions for ELDS and ILS |
3.85 |
4.25 |
Child Maintenance Deduction
Deductions |
Rates 2022/23 (£) |
Rates 2023/24 (£) |
Standard deduction |
8.40 |
8.40 |
Deductions |
Rates 2022/23 (£) |
Rates 2023/24 (£) |
Court order against claimant |
3.85 |
4.25 |
Court order against couple |
6.10 |
6.70 |
Fine or compensation order
Deductions |
Rates 2022/23 (£) |
Rates 2023/24 (£) |
Standard rate |
5.00 |
5.00 |
lower rate |
3.85 |
4.25 |
Recovery of overpayments (not contribution-based JSA or contribution-based ESA)
Deductions |
Rates 2022/23 (£) |
Rates 2023/24 (£) |
Maximum deduction rates for recovery of overpayments (not JSA(C)/ESA(C)) ordinary overpayments |
11.55 |
12.75 |
Fraud Overpayments
Deductions |
Rates 2022/23 (£) |
Rates 2023/24 (£) |
Housing Benefit / CTB only |
19.25 |
21.25 |
Benefits (not HB or Council Tax) |
30.80 |
34.00 |
Deductions from contribution-based JSA and contribution-based ESA
Arrears of Comm. Charge and overpayment recovery
Deductions |
Rates 2022/23 (£) |
Rates 2023/24 (£) |
Age 16 – 24 |
20.35 |
22.40 |
Age 25 + |
25.66 |
28.26 |
Arrears of Council Tax and Fines
Deductions |
Rates 2022/23 (£) |
Rates 2023/24 (£) |
Age 16 – 24 |
24.42 |
26.88 |
Age 25 + |
30.80 |
33.92 |
Maximum deduction for arrears of Child Maintenance
Deductions |
Rates 2022/23 (£) |
Rates 2023/24 (£) |
Age 16 – 24 |
20.35 |
22.40 |
Age 25 + |
25.66 |
28.26 |
Sanction reduction rate for New Style ESA and JSA
Deductions |
Rates 2022/23 (£) |
Rates 2023/24 (£) |
under 25 |
8.60 |
9.50 |
25 and over |
10.90 |
12.00 |
Personal Allowance will be reduced in full when customer is subject to a sanction.
are registered blind or were so in the last 28 weeks;
receive Attendance Allowance;
receive Constant Attendance Allowance;
receive the care component of Disability Living Allowance (at any rate).
- No deductions are made if the non-dependant:
is in prison or similar forms of detention;
has been in hospital for 52 weeks or more;
- usually lives elsewhere (but you will need to tell us their permanent address, otherwise we may still make the deduction); or
- is a full time student or student nurse (although a HB deduction applies if the non-dependant works for 16 hours per week or more during the summer vacation).
Special rules apply to delay the deduction for those aged 65 or over:
- If you or your partner are aged 65 or over and:
- a non-dependant moves in (and a deduction would normally apply to them); or
- a non-dependant has a change in circumstances that would mean that a higher deduction should be made.
- The deduction starts 26 weeks after the non-dependant moved in or 26 weeks from their change in circumstances.
Updated April 2023