The Housing Benefit Regulations 2006

Definition of non-dependant

3.—(1) In these Regulations, “non-dependant” means any person, except someone to whom paragraph (2) applies, who normally resides with a claimant or with whom a claimant normally resides.

(2) This paragraph applies to—

(a) any member of the claimant’s family;

(b) if the claimant is polygamously married, any partner of his and any child or young person who is a member of his household and for whom he or one of his partners is responsible;

(c) a child or young person who is living with the claimant but who is not a member of his household by virtue of regulation 21 (circumstances in which a person is to be treated as being or not being a member of the same household);

(d) subject to paragraph (3), a person who jointly occupies the claimant’s dwelling and is either a co-owner of that dwelling with the claimant or his partner (whether or not there are other co-owners) or is liable with the claimant or his partner to make payments in respect of his occupation of the dwelling;

(e) subject to paragraph (3)—

(i) any person who is liable to make payments on a commercial basis to the claimant or the claimant’s partner in respect of the occupation of the dwelling;

(ii) any person to whom or to whose partner the claimant or the claimant’s partner is liable to make payments on a commercial basis in respect of the occupation of the dwelling; or

(iii) any other member of the household of the person to whom or to whose partner the claimant or the claimant’s partner is liable to make payments on a commercial basis in respect of the occupation of the dwelling;

(f) a person who lives with the claimant in order to care for him or a partner of his and who is engaged by a charitable or voluntary organisation which makes a charge to the claimant or his partner for the services provided by that person.

(3) Sub-paragraphs (d) and (e) of paragraph (2) shall not apply to any person who is treated as if he were not liable to make payments in respect of a dwelling under paragraph (1) of regulation 9 (circumstances in which a person is to be treated as not liable to make payments in respect of a dwelling).

(4) For the purposes of this regulation and regulation 9 a person resides with another only if they share any accommodation except a bathroom, a lavatory or a communal area within the meaning prescribed in paragraph 8 of Schedule 1 but not if each person is separately liable to make payments in respect of his occupation of the dwelling to the landlord.