It is a legal document that is sent to your employer which requires them to take money from your wage to pay your outstanding council tax bill. Your employer can also take an extra £1 for each deduction for their administration costs.
We can send a maximum of 2 orders at any one time and you will be issued with a copy of each order.
The council can issue an attachment of earnings order if you have not paid your council tax by the date shown on your bill and the Magistrates Court have granted a liability order against you.
We ask your employer to start making deductions as soon as possible. You will need to ask them when this will be if you are unsure.
The amount deducted is calculated based on a percentage of your net pay as detailed in the tables below. If you want to find out exactly how much will be deducted from your earnings, you will need to contact your employer.
| Net earnings | Deduction rate |
|---|---|
| below £75 | no deduction can be made |
| £75 to £135 | 3% |
| £135 to £185 | 5% |
| £185 to £225 | 7% |
| £225 to £355 | 12% |
| £355 to £505 | 17% |
| above £505 | 17% for the first £505 and 50% for the remainder |
| Net earnings | Deduction rate |
|---|---|
| below £300 | no deduction can be made |
| £300 to £550 | 3% |
| £550 to £740 | 5% |
| £740 to £900 | 7% |
| £900 to £1,420 | 12% |
| £1,420 to £2,020 | 17% |
| above £2,020 | 17% for the first £2,020 and 50% for the remainder |
Please be aware, if you have 2 attachment of earnings orders set up the amounts deducted will be different. This is because your 2nd deduction is a percentage of your net pay after the 1st deduction has been taken.
Yes. The deduction is worked out using your net earnings. If you work extra hours and your pay increases, the amount deducted will also increase.
Yes. The deduction is worked out using your net earnings. If your earnings reduce, the amount deducted will also reduce. If you know that your earnings are too low to make deductions, please contact us straight away.
Your employer can make deductions from contractual maternity pay, they can not make deductions from statutory maternity pay.
Your employer will keep a record of how much is left to clear the attachment order and should stop making deductions once the amount is paid in full. You can also view the payments made to your account by signing in or requesting to view your account online.
Log in or request to view your account online
Your wage slip should also tell you how much has been taken for the attachment of earnings order, including an extra £1 for each deduction should your employer wish to take an administration cost.
No. An attachment of earnings order is a legal document. Your employer must make deductions, or they could be prosecuted. Once an attachment to your wages is in force, it won't usually be cancelled until payment is received in full.
No. Once an order has been sent it will not be stopped unless you pay the outstanding amount in full or the deductions we receive are insufficient. We will not arrange alternative payment with you at this stage, unless you can provide evidence that you are vulnerable or in severe financial hardship.
If you pay the balance in full you must contact us so that we can arrange for the order to be stopped.
If you change jobs, you must contact us to tell us your new employment details. If you don’t tell us of your new employers details, we can take alternative recovery action which could result in more charges on your account.
Your employer can not make deductions from redundancy payments.
If you are no longer working, you must contact us to discuss your situation. You may be entitled to support to help you pay your bill. We will also be able to discuss payment of the outstanding amount and stop any further recovery action.
If you are suffering from severe financial hardship due to the deductions being taken, you must contact us and provide an offer of payment with evidence of your financial situation, such as bank statements, proof of incomings and outgoings, copies of bills, etc. to enable us to consider an alternative payment arrangement.
If you need to contact us regarding deductions from your wages, please call us on 0191 278 7878 and ask for council tax.