Part 4: Enforcement of Judgments and Orders Background Attachment of earnings orders
409.An attachment of earnings order (AEO) is a means of securing payment of certain debts by requiring an employer to make deductions direct from an employed debtor’s earnings. Currently, the rate of deductions under an AEO made to secure payment of a judgment debt is calculated by a county court using information provided by the debtor.
410.Effective Enforcement identified weaknesses in the current system and in particular the fact that information provided by debtors is often unreliable. The Act tackles this by making provision for a new method of calculation of deductions from earnings based on fixed rates, similar to the system used for council tax AEOs. Another weakness of the AEO system is that if a debtor changes job and does not inform the court of his new employer’s details, the AEO lapses. The Act therefore enables the High Court, county courts, magistrates’ courts and fines officers to request the name and address of the debtor’s new employer from Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (“HMRC”), for the purpose of redirecting the AEO.