MoneyHelperOnce a council has a liability order, one of the ways it can collect council tax arrears is an attachment of earnings order — taking the money straight from your wages. It's understandably worrying to think of deductions landing in your payslip, so here's exactly how it works and, crucially, how much they can take.
Quick summary
- An attachment of earnings comes after a liability order — no fresh hearing is needed.
- The amount is set by a fixed statutory scale, from 0% up to 17% for most earners.
- Benefits can be tapped instead, at a flat weekly rate set by the DWP.
- Your employer can't refuse a valid order, but also can't dismiss you just for having one.
- A voluntary plan or a debt solution can replace it entirely.
How much can they take? The statutory scale
Deductions are worked out from your net earnings using rates set in law, so the council can't simply pick a figure. On the monthly scale (England and Wales):
- Up to £300: nothing
- £300–£550: 3%
- £550–£740: 5%
- £740–£900: 7%
- £900–£1,420: 12%
- £1,420–£2,020: 17%
- Over £2,020: 17% on the first £2,020, then 50% on the rest
Two orders can run at once, which doubles the deductions, and your employer may add £1 per deduction for administration.
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Can you stop an attachment of earnings?
Yes, in several ways. You can ask the council to accept a voluntary payment plan instead, especially if the deductions are causing hardship. Always check the deductions match the statutory rates and the order is valid. And a formal solution — an IVA or DRO — ends the arrangement entirely by dealing with the underlying debt.
Attachment of benefits
If you're on Universal Credit or certain other benefits, the council can ask the DWP to take a set weekly amount instead. It's a flat rate rather than the earnings percentages above, and it can be reduced in cases of hardship.
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