Make benefit debt deductions from an employee's pay

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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 in Welsh (Cymraeg).