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  • Benefits Information for Employers

    Topics:
    • Benefits and pensions, 
    • Benefits

    As an employer you may be asked to make deductions from an employee's pay towards benefit overpayments and Social Fund loans that the employee owes to the Department for Communities (DfC). This method of recovery is known as a Direct Earnings Attachment or DEA.
    The DfC Debt Management will write to you with an instruction to set up and maintain a DEA if any of your employees are affected.

    Direct Earnings Attachments

    Employers may be asked to make deductions towards benefit overpayments and Social Fund loans that an employee owes the Department for Communities (DfC). This is called a Direct Earnings Attachment (DEA).

    For more information see our Direct Earnings Attachment guide

    Related content

    • A to Z of benefits
    • Administrative Welfare Supplementary Payments
    • Benefits and pensions - how to apply
    • Benefits Information for Advisors
    • Benefits Information for Healthcare Professionals
    • Child Funeral Fund
    • DfC Supports and Advice Services
    • General benefits information
    • Improvements to Social Fund Budgeting Loan decision communications
    • Information for appellants, appointees, and representatives on changes to the Appeals Service NI medical records procedures
    • Social security phone services
    • Social security policy and guidance
    • Social Security Standards Committee minutes
    • The Special Rules: how the benefit system supports people nearing the end of life
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