An Employer's Guide to Direct Earnings Attachments (DEA) for the Collection of Housing Benefit Overpayments

Once you have started operating a DEA, you must continue to make payments to us until we tell you to stop or you have deducted the maximum amount that needs to be recovered from the earnings. We shall contact you if the amount deducted should change.

If there is a change of circumstances which means that you can no longer operate the DEA, you must notify us in writing within 10 days of that change happening. In the first instance though, please telephone us to let us know as we may be able to speed up the administration process.

If you need to tell us about a change, contact the Recovery Team on 01642 526820 or email: benefits.overpayments@stockton.gov.uk.