What is direct earnings attachment and how does it work?

[kuldeep]

Can someone explain what is direct earnings attachment? I recently saw this term mentioned in relation to debt collection and wage deductions, but I’m not fully clear on how it works. Is it the same as wage garnishment? How much can be taken from someone’s paycheck, and who authorizes it? Any clarification would be helpful.

 

[Aurora]

A Direct Earnings Attachment (DEA) is when a government department orders an employer to deduct money directly from an employee’s wages to repay debts like benefit overpayments. The employer calculates the amount based on earnings bands and sends it to the department until the debt is cleared.