Make benefit debt deductions from an employee's pay

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1. Overview

As an employer you may be asked to deduct benefit overpayments an employee owes the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) from their pay. This is called a Direct Earnings Attachment (DEA).

DWP will write to you and ask you to operate the DEA scheme if any of your employees are affected. DEA only applies to a small proportion of people owing money to DWP.

You may also be asked to make deductions for Housing Benefit overpayments an employee owes their local authority. Contact local authorities, not DWP, about these deductions.

This guide is also available聽in Welsh (Cymraeg).

2. How it works

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) will write to you if you need to make Direct Earnings Attachment (DEA) deductions for an employee.

How deductions work

You鈥檒l need to follow these steps if you get a letter from DWP saying you need to make Direct Earnings Attachment (DEA) deductions for an employee:

  1. Tell your employee that money will be deducted from their pay.

  2. Work out how much to deduct from your employee鈥檚 pay.

  3. Check if your employee has other debt orders to pay and if they take priority over DEA.

  4. Take the money from your employee鈥檚 pay.

  5. Pay the money to DWP no later than the 19th day of the month following deduction in your payroll.

  6. Continue to make employee deductions and payments to DWP until the debt has been repaid or DWP tells you to stop.

Read the employer鈥檚 guide for more information on DEA deductions and payments.

Record keeping

You must keep a record of deductions and tell DWP when an employee leaves your company.

You could be fined up to 拢1,000 if you do not make DEA deductions.

Help with DWP payments

Call the employer helpline if you have questions about how to run DEA or pay DWP.

Employer helpline 0800 916 0614
Monday to Friday, 8am to 7.30pm
Find out about call charges

This helpline is for DWP deductions only. Contact your employee鈥檚 local authority for Housing Benefit deductions.

3. Calculating DEA

To calculate the deductions from your employee鈥檚 pay you鈥檒l have to:

  • work out the employee鈥檚 earnings after tax, class 1 National Insurance and workplace pension contributions
  • deduct the percentage shown in the table from the employee鈥檚 earnings
  • check if the employee has other debt orders and if they take priority over Direct Earnings Attachment (DEA) - see the employer鈥檚 guide

If the total of all deductions is more than 40% of the employee鈥檚 net earnings, DEA must be adjusted - see the employer鈥檚 guide.

If payments are made every 2 or 4 weeks, calculate weekly pay and deduct the percentage in the table.

Standard DEA rates

Deductions from earnings Employee鈥檚 weekly pay Employee鈥檚 monthly pay
Nothing to deduct 拢100 or less 拢430 or less
3% 拢100.01 to 拢160 拢430.01 to 拢690
5% 拢160.01 to 拢220 拢690.01 to 拢950
7% 拢220.01 to 拢270 拢950.01 to 拢1,160
11% 拢270.01 to 拢375 拢1,160.01 to 拢1,615
15% 拢375.01 to 拢520 拢1,615.01 to 拢2,240
20% More than 拢520 More than 拢2,240

Higher DEA rates

In some circumstances you may be asked to deduct DEA at a higher rate. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) will tell you which rate to use when it contacts you to set up DEA deductions.

Deductions from earnings Employee鈥檚 weekly pay Employee鈥檚 monthly pay
5% 拢100 or less 拢430 or less
6% 拢100.01 to 拢160 拢430.01 to 拢690
10% 拢160.01 to 拢220 拢690.01 to 拢950
14% 拢220.01 to 拢270 拢950.01 to 拢1,160
22% 拢270.01 to 拢375 拢1,160.01 to 拢1,615
30% 拢375.01 to 拢520 拢1,615.01 to 拢2,240
40% More than 拢520 More than 拢2,240

Call the employer helpline if you鈥檙e unsure which rate to pay.

Employer helpline 0800 916 0614
Monday to Friday, 8am to 7.30pm
Find out about call charges

There is more detail about calculating DEA in the employer鈥檚 guide.

4. What counts as earnings

When calculating Direct Earnings Attachment (DEA) payments, you should include as earnings:

  • wages and salary
  • fees
  • bonuses
  • commission
  • overtime pay
  • occupational pensions if paid with wages or salary
  • compensation payments
  • Statutory Sick Pay
  • most other payments on top of wages
  • pay in lieu of notice

Do not count:

  • Statutory Maternity Pay
  • Statutory Adoption Pay
  • Ordinary or Additional Paternity Pay
  • guaranteed minimum pension
  • any money the employee gets from the government, such as benefits, pensions or credits (includes Northern Ireland or anywhere outside the UK)
  • statutory redundancy pay
  • expenses
  • pay or allowances as a member of HM Forces (does not include allowances for special members of the reserve force)