Additional guidance
When other court orders are in place
If your employee already has other court orders or deductions from their earnings, you must follow the correct order of priority.
The following deductions take priority over a Direct Earnings Attachment (DEA):
England and Wales
- Deduction from Earnings Order (DEO) from the Child Maintenance Group (CMG)
- Attachment of Earnings Order (AEO) for maintenance or fines
- Council Tax Attachment of Earnings Order (CTAEO)
Scotland
- Deduction of Earnings Order (DEO) from CMG
- Earnings Arrestment (EA)
Student loans
Student loan repayments also take priority over a DEA in both England, Wales and Scotland.
Once these priority orders are applied, the DEA takes priority over any remaining orders, based on the date they were received. However, the total deductions must not reduce the employee’s net earnings below 60%.
If the employee disagrees with the amount owed
If your employee believes the amount they owe is incorrect, advise them to contact RMBC using the details provided in their DEA letter or via the contact us page.
If the employee thinks the deduction is too high
If your employee thinks the deduction is too much:
- Check that the correct percentage has been applied using the appropriate earnings table.
- Confirm that other deductions have been considered correctly.
- If the calculation is correct, explain that you are legally required to make the deduction.
If the employee is still concerned, they should contact RMBC directly.
When to stop making deductions
You must continue to make deductions until RMBC tells you to stop. RMBC will notify you when the debt has been cleared or if the DEA should be cancelled.
If your circumstances change and you can no longer operate the DEA (for example, the employee leaves), you must notify RMBC in writing within 10 days.
