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Disability support: Access to Work (NI)
In this guide:
- Employ and support people with disabilities
- Recruiting people with disabilities
- Advantages of employing people with disabilities
- Health & Work Support Branch
- Disability support: Workable (NI)
- Disability support: Access to Work (NI)
- Disability support: Work Psychology Team
- Using work trials to recruit people with disabilities - JP Corry
- Disability support: Condition Management Programme
Recruiting people with disabilities
How employers can adjust and take positive steps to recruit people with a disability.
It can be challenging for someone with a disability to get into employment. Opening up your talent pool to make it easier for people with a disability to apply for jobs can bring many benefits to your business – see advantages of employing someone with a disability.
Reasonable adjustments for job applicants
Employers can take a number of steps to make the recruitment process as fair as possible for all applicants by making reasonable adjustments so that applicants without a disability do not have an unfair advantage over those who do have a disability.
Employers must be aware of their legal obligations when recruiting. Under the Disability Discrimination Act, employers:
- must not discriminate against someone with a disability when they are applying for a job
- must consider making reasonable adjustments if an applicant with a disability is at a disadvantage compared to a non-disabled applicant
Employers must consider reasonable adjustments at every stage of the recruitment process:
Application form
If the format, layout or structure of the application form puts someone at a disadvantage you should consider having the application form available in large print, Braille or an audio version for someone who is partially sighted or blind.
Aptitude tests
You should consider making additional time available to complete aptitude tests for someone with a disability who requests a reasonable adjustment. Another adjustment could be allowing test answers to be given verbally.
Interview
Ensure the interview room is fully accessible to all applicants. Be aware that applicants may request a reasonable adjustment to be interviewed at a time when they are more alert or pain-free depending on their disability. Consider training for your interview panel that examines the impact of various disabilities on performance at the interview stage, eg how autism may provide a challenge to an applicant during an interview and how adjustments can be made to help them.
Taking positive action to treat disabled people more favourably
Employers can decide to take a step further in positively recruiting someone with a disability. Unlike other forms of equality legislation, the Disability Discrimination Act allows employers to treat people with a disability more favourably than others through positive action.
An employer is not legally obliged to take positive action but employers can lawfully take positive action steps to treat someone with a disability more favourably. There are a number of positive action measures which an employer can choose to take to recruit someone with a disability, including:
- ring-fencing certain jobs so that they are only open to people with a disability
- offering a guaranteed interview to applicants with a disability who meet the essential criteria for a post
- using non-traditional forms of assessment which may only disadvantage people with a disability
- offering work trial opportunities which may lead to permanent jobs if the placement is successful
- creating an alternative post within your organisation for a person with a disability if there are certain tasks they are unable to perform as a result of their disability
Positive action measures should be carefully planned with advice from appropriate support organisations. Employers must comply with other equality legislation – see avoid discrimination when recruiting staff.
Access disability support
There are a range of government initiatives to help employers take on staff with a disability and also help staff with a disability get the support they need in the workplace – see:
Also on this siteContent category
Source URL
/content/recruiting-people-disabilities
Links
Advantages of employing people with disabilities
Discover the business benefits of employing someone with a disability.
Being a fair and equal opportunities employer not only ensures you meet your legal requirements to prevent discrimination, but you will also tap into a diverse talent pool that can bring many benefits to your business. Employing people with a disability can save you money and boost the profitability of your business.
Benefits of employing people with a disability
Recruit from a wider talent pool
By opening opportunities to people with disabilities you can widen your recruitment pool helping you to attract staff with the skills and talent that can enable your business to grow and thrive.
Promoting an inclusive workplace culture
Hiring people with a disability enhances diversity in your workforce. It can help increase staff morale, motivation, and commitment by demonstrating a workplace culture that values all staff.
Access specialist knowledge and skills
Staff with a disability may bring in specialist knowledge and skills such as understanding the needs of disabled customers, creative problem solving, and having particular attention to detail. Workers with disabilities possess skills and experiences that can offer employers a competitive edge.
Minimise staff turnover
People with disabilities tend to seek stable and reliable work when looking for a job and so tend to stay in their posts longer, helping to reduce staff turnover. This minimises recruitment and training costs incurred to take on new staff. You will also retain staff with years of experience and know-how.
Attract new customers
Having a diverse workforce, including employing people with disabilities, can help you attract disabled customers and potentially a large revenue stream. Employees with a disability can help you look at things from a fresh perspective, develop empathy for customers’ needs, and gain a better understanding of what they value in a business or brand. When your business and its products and services are accessible, you are able to appeal to a much larger and much more diverse audience and customer base.
Procurement opportunities
By employing people with a disability, you will be able to meet any social responsibility recruitment clauses that may apply to access particular tender opportunities and public procurement exercises. See understanding social value in public procurement.
Enhance your corporate image
Being an equal employer makes you look good. Consumers prefer to give their business to organisations that show a strong sense of corporate responsibility including employing a diverse workforce.
Low-cost reasonable adjustments
There can be a stigma to employing someone with a disability. Some employers may unfairly think that reasonable adjustments will be costly and take a lot of time to implement. However, most reasonable adjustments in the workplace can be simple, free, or low cost and there can be government help towards any costs that are incurred.
Encouraging accessibility best practice
Employing people with a disability will help you see things from their perspective. It can encourage the adoption of best practices to create accessible environments using adaptive technologies that are useful to people with and without disabilities.
ActionsAlso on this siteContent category
Source URL
/content/advantages-employing-people-disabilities
Links
Health & Work Support Branch
The specialist support available to help disabled people start or retain employment.
The Health & Work Support Branch (HWSB) staff offers help and advice to both employers and people with disabilities about the range of specialist support available to help people start and retain a job.
You may identify someone who has the skills for your job but have questions about how their disability may affect them in the workplace - such as how they will manage the job. HWSB advisers are located across Northern Ireland and can offer practical advice to help both you and the potential employee overcome any barriers to starting work.
Support available
The type of support available may include advice on the following:
- recruiting people with disabilities
- retaining employees who become disabled
- financial help or support to employ people with disabilities through the Access to Work (NI) and Workable (NI)
- job/employee assessment and job/environment redesign
- equipment and ergonomics in the workplace
- accessibility of premises
- development of disability awareness
- development of good employment practices
- preparation, advice, and guidance to help people with disabilities who are applying for jobs
- encouraging employers to provide dedicated interview times for applicants with disabilities
- providing employers with advice on reasonable adjustments, such as additional time for interview
- offering the employer and the job applicant appropriate options of tailored support during the recruitment process
- offering the employer and the employee appropriate options of tailored support to help the worker with a disability perform to the best of their ability in the workplace
Developed withAlso on this siteContent category
Source URL
/content/health-work-support-branch
Links
Disability support: Workable (NI)
Workable (NI) offers support and assistance to both employees and employers to help disabled people move into or retain work.
Workable (NI) provides a flexible range of long-term support and assists people who, due to their disability, encounter substantial barriers to staying in employment. Read more on Workable (NI).
The programme is delivered by three organisations contracted by the Department for Communities (DfC):
These organisations have extensive experience of meeting the vocational needs of people with disabilities. Read further information via the links above about Workable (NI) and the benefits to employers.
The provision under Workable (NI) can include support such as:
- mentoring
- on and off the job training
- disability awareness training
Developed withContent category
Source URL
/content/disability-support-workable-ni
Links
Disability support: Access to Work (NI)
Access to Work (NI) can provide advice and guidance for your employee's disability needs and if appropriate, a financial grant towards the cost of support.
Access to Work (NI) can help by providing advice and guidance of your employee's disability needs in the workplace and, if appropriate, a financial grant towards the cost of necessary support.
For example, Access to Work (NI) may be able to pay towards the following:
- adaptations to premises and equipment
- communicator support at interviews
- special aids and equipment
- travel to work costs
- a support worker
- travel within work eg to attend a meeting or training course
Depending on your employee's circumstances, Access to Work (NI) may be able to provide support under more than one of these areas.
Read more on Access to Work - practical help at work.
Developed withContent category
Source URL
/content/disability-support-access-work-ni
Links
Disability support: Work Psychology Team
Further help, advice, and guidance in areas relating to work, disability, and health.
The Department for Communities' Work Psychology Service (WPS) offers specialist consultancy to individuals and/or employers seeking advice and guidance in areas relating to disability and wellbeing in the context of work.
The WPS works closely with Work Coaches in Jobs & Benefits Offices to offer advice and guidance regarding individuals who have a disability or health condition and are seeking work or who are experiencing difficulties in work.
The WPS Assessment Service can provide advice to both employers and individuals regarding reasonable adjustments and possible alternative employment options, when the individual is at risk of losing their job as a result of their disability or health condition.
Developed withActionsContent category
Source URL
/content/disability-support-work-psychology-team
Links
Employ and support people with disabilities
Using work trials to recruit people with disabilities - JP Corry
How JP Corry's Dromore branch has adapted its recruitment processes to take on a person with a disability.
JP Corry is one of Northern Ireland’s leading builder’s merchants, supplying building materials to the trade, self-build, DIY, and architectural markets. The business operates from a network of 17 branches across Northern Ireland and the Isle of Man, employing around 265 staff.
Stephen Gibson, Branch Manager at JP Corry in Dromore, explains how the organisation has adapted their employment policies and recruitment processes to take on and support a person with a disability.
Reducing barriers for people with disabilities
"As a company, we strive to be inclusive and diverse. We want to make it easy for everyone to access our services, whether as a customer, supplier, or employee."
"JP Corry is proud to support the JAM Card scheme, which helps people with communication barriers and hidden disabilities receive tailored customer care. As a company whose purpose is to 'build our future by helping others build theirs', we believe in providing employment opportunities to disabled people."
"Our human resources team works closely with organisations that represent minority groups, such as Disability Action, NOW Group, and WOMEN'STEC, to ensure that they are informed of our employment opportunities."
Using work trials in our business
"JP Corry has equal opportunities policies and diversity training to ensure that we recruit staff fairly. Offering a work trial to potential recruits, particularly disabled people, has benefited both the individual and the business."
"Working with Disability Action, we set up our first work trial, where a disabled person came to work with us to understand what it would be like to be employed in our company before applying for a job. The experience was positive, and we recognised the potential of the person during the work trial. They subsequently applied for and secured the job successfully."
"Other branches of JP Corry have also seen the advantages of work trials and have adopted a similar approach by using the Work Experience Programme provided by the Department for Communities to offer employment opportunities."
Accessing local help and support
"Many local organisations have supported us along our journey with work trials. Some employees have completed a qualification in customer service through the NOW Group, providing insight into how disabled people can contribute to a high level of customer service. Disability Action has also been available to advise us when needed."
"To keep our organisation up-to-date and engaged, our HR team frequently attends employment conferences and training events. This continuous improvement activity along with the good relationships we have built with relevant charities and business support organisations ensures we have the support we need."
Lessons learned
"The work trials have benefited the organisation and the staff that we have hired. Some work trials will not always result in longer-term opportunities, but that can be positive as you haven't started formal training or invested significant time and resources into developing an employee who does not fit the job. It is better to discover at the trial stage whether it will work rather than going through a recruitment and onboarding process for it not to work out and needing to go back to the beginning of the recruitment process."
"Adapting our HR policies and practices to make it easier to recruit and support disabled people has enabled us to reach another talent pool and has enhanced our recruitment strategy. Our Dromore branch has benefited by getting a brilliant recruit who connects and engages with our customers. He brings positive energy to our team, and we have a better focus and understanding."
Also on this siteCase StudyStephen GibsonContent category
Source URL
/jpcorry
Links
Disability support: Condition Management Programme
The Condition Management Programme helps those with a health condition manage symptoms to allow progress towards, moving into and staying in employment.
The Condition Management Programme helps those with a health condition manage symptoms to allow progress towards, move into and stay in employment. The programme is led by healthcare professionals, such as occupational therapists, physiotherapists and mental health nurses.
The Condition Management Programme (CMP) gives support and advice to help people manage conditions including:
- arthritic complaints
- back and neck problems
- chronic fatigue
- depression
- pain
- stress
- heart, circulatory and respiratory disorders
The programme helps to:
- increase understand health conditions
- improve day to day functioning for those affected by health conditions
- increase confidence in those affected by health conditions
- improve your prospects of returning to work or staying in work
It offers advice, education and support on:
- dealing with stress, anxiety, low mood and depression
- coping with pain and fatigue
- relaxation techniques
- communicating with confidence
- developing a healthier lifestyle
- exploring potential options that will help you progress towards employment or help you make a successful return to work
Further information
If this support is something that you think you or your staff could benefit from see further details, including eligibility and how to apply, on the Condition Management Programme.
Developed withContent category
Source URL
/content/disability-support-condition-management-programme
Links
Disability support: Workable (NI)
In this guide:
- Employ and support people with disabilities
- Recruiting people with disabilities
- Advantages of employing people with disabilities
- Health & Work Support Branch
- Disability support: Workable (NI)
- Disability support: Access to Work (NI)
- Disability support: Work Psychology Team
- Using work trials to recruit people with disabilities - JP Corry
- Disability support: Condition Management Programme
Recruiting people with disabilities
How employers can adjust and take positive steps to recruit people with a disability.
It can be challenging for someone with a disability to get into employment. Opening up your talent pool to make it easier for people with a disability to apply for jobs can bring many benefits to your business – see advantages of employing someone with a disability.
Reasonable adjustments for job applicants
Employers can take a number of steps to make the recruitment process as fair as possible for all applicants by making reasonable adjustments so that applicants without a disability do not have an unfair advantage over those who do have a disability.
Employers must be aware of their legal obligations when recruiting. Under the Disability Discrimination Act, employers:
- must not discriminate against someone with a disability when they are applying for a job
- must consider making reasonable adjustments if an applicant with a disability is at a disadvantage compared to a non-disabled applicant
Employers must consider reasonable adjustments at every stage of the recruitment process:
Application form
If the format, layout or structure of the application form puts someone at a disadvantage you should consider having the application form available in large print, Braille or an audio version for someone who is partially sighted or blind.
Aptitude tests
You should consider making additional time available to complete aptitude tests for someone with a disability who requests a reasonable adjustment. Another adjustment could be allowing test answers to be given verbally.
Interview
Ensure the interview room is fully accessible to all applicants. Be aware that applicants may request a reasonable adjustment to be interviewed at a time when they are more alert or pain-free depending on their disability. Consider training for your interview panel that examines the impact of various disabilities on performance at the interview stage, eg how autism may provide a challenge to an applicant during an interview and how adjustments can be made to help them.
Taking positive action to treat disabled people more favourably
Employers can decide to take a step further in positively recruiting someone with a disability. Unlike other forms of equality legislation, the Disability Discrimination Act allows employers to treat people with a disability more favourably than others through positive action.
An employer is not legally obliged to take positive action but employers can lawfully take positive action steps to treat someone with a disability more favourably. There are a number of positive action measures which an employer can choose to take to recruit someone with a disability, including:
- ring-fencing certain jobs so that they are only open to people with a disability
- offering a guaranteed interview to applicants with a disability who meet the essential criteria for a post
- using non-traditional forms of assessment which may only disadvantage people with a disability
- offering work trial opportunities which may lead to permanent jobs if the placement is successful
- creating an alternative post within your organisation for a person with a disability if there are certain tasks they are unable to perform as a result of their disability
Positive action measures should be carefully planned with advice from appropriate support organisations. Employers must comply with other equality legislation – see avoid discrimination when recruiting staff.
Access disability support
There are a range of government initiatives to help employers take on staff with a disability and also help staff with a disability get the support they need in the workplace – see:
Also on this siteContent category
Source URL
/content/recruiting-people-disabilities
Links
Advantages of employing people with disabilities
Discover the business benefits of employing someone with a disability.
Being a fair and equal opportunities employer not only ensures you meet your legal requirements to prevent discrimination, but you will also tap into a diverse talent pool that can bring many benefits to your business. Employing people with a disability can save you money and boost the profitability of your business.
Benefits of employing people with a disability
Recruit from a wider talent pool
By opening opportunities to people with disabilities you can widen your recruitment pool helping you to attract staff with the skills and talent that can enable your business to grow and thrive.
Promoting an inclusive workplace culture
Hiring people with a disability enhances diversity in your workforce. It can help increase staff morale, motivation, and commitment by demonstrating a workplace culture that values all staff.
Access specialist knowledge and skills
Staff with a disability may bring in specialist knowledge and skills such as understanding the needs of disabled customers, creative problem solving, and having particular attention to detail. Workers with disabilities possess skills and experiences that can offer employers a competitive edge.
Minimise staff turnover
People with disabilities tend to seek stable and reliable work when looking for a job and so tend to stay in their posts longer, helping to reduce staff turnover. This minimises recruitment and training costs incurred to take on new staff. You will also retain staff with years of experience and know-how.
Attract new customers
Having a diverse workforce, including employing people with disabilities, can help you attract disabled customers and potentially a large revenue stream. Employees with a disability can help you look at things from a fresh perspective, develop empathy for customers’ needs, and gain a better understanding of what they value in a business or brand. When your business and its products and services are accessible, you are able to appeal to a much larger and much more diverse audience and customer base.
Procurement opportunities
By employing people with a disability, you will be able to meet any social responsibility recruitment clauses that may apply to access particular tender opportunities and public procurement exercises. See understanding social value in public procurement.
Enhance your corporate image
Being an equal employer makes you look good. Consumers prefer to give their business to organisations that show a strong sense of corporate responsibility including employing a diverse workforce.
Low-cost reasonable adjustments
There can be a stigma to employing someone with a disability. Some employers may unfairly think that reasonable adjustments will be costly and take a lot of time to implement. However, most reasonable adjustments in the workplace can be simple, free, or low cost and there can be government help towards any costs that are incurred.
Encouraging accessibility best practice
Employing people with a disability will help you see things from their perspective. It can encourage the adoption of best practices to create accessible environments using adaptive technologies that are useful to people with and without disabilities.
ActionsAlso on this siteContent category
Source URL
/content/advantages-employing-people-disabilities
Links
Health & Work Support Branch
The specialist support available to help disabled people start or retain employment.
The Health & Work Support Branch (HWSB) staff offers help and advice to both employers and people with disabilities about the range of specialist support available to help people start and retain a job.
You may identify someone who has the skills for your job but have questions about how their disability may affect them in the workplace - such as how they will manage the job. HWSB advisers are located across Northern Ireland and can offer practical advice to help both you and the potential employee overcome any barriers to starting work.
Support available
The type of support available may include advice on the following:
- recruiting people with disabilities
- retaining employees who become disabled
- financial help or support to employ people with disabilities through the Access to Work (NI) and Workable (NI)
- job/employee assessment and job/environment redesign
- equipment and ergonomics in the workplace
- accessibility of premises
- development of disability awareness
- development of good employment practices
- preparation, advice, and guidance to help people with disabilities who are applying for jobs
- encouraging employers to provide dedicated interview times for applicants with disabilities
- providing employers with advice on reasonable adjustments, such as additional time for interview
- offering the employer and the job applicant appropriate options of tailored support during the recruitment process
- offering the employer and the employee appropriate options of tailored support to help the worker with a disability perform to the best of their ability in the workplace
Developed withAlso on this siteContent category
Source URL
/content/health-work-support-branch
Links
Disability support: Workable (NI)
Workable (NI) offers support and assistance to both employees and employers to help disabled people move into or retain work.
Workable (NI) provides a flexible range of long-term support and assists people who, due to their disability, encounter substantial barriers to staying in employment. Read more on Workable (NI).
The programme is delivered by three organisations contracted by the Department for Communities (DfC):
These organisations have extensive experience of meeting the vocational needs of people with disabilities. Read further information via the links above about Workable (NI) and the benefits to employers.
The provision under Workable (NI) can include support such as:
- mentoring
- on and off the job training
- disability awareness training
Developed withContent category
Source URL
/content/disability-support-workable-ni
Links
Disability support: Access to Work (NI)
Access to Work (NI) can provide advice and guidance for your employee's disability needs and if appropriate, a financial grant towards the cost of support.
Access to Work (NI) can help by providing advice and guidance of your employee's disability needs in the workplace and, if appropriate, a financial grant towards the cost of necessary support.
For example, Access to Work (NI) may be able to pay towards the following:
- adaptations to premises and equipment
- communicator support at interviews
- special aids and equipment
- travel to work costs
- a support worker
- travel within work eg to attend a meeting or training course
Depending on your employee's circumstances, Access to Work (NI) may be able to provide support under more than one of these areas.
Read more on Access to Work - practical help at work.
Developed withContent category
Source URL
/content/disability-support-access-work-ni
Links
Disability support: Work Psychology Team
Further help, advice, and guidance in areas relating to work, disability, and health.
The Department for Communities' Work Psychology Service (WPS) offers specialist consultancy to individuals and/or employers seeking advice and guidance in areas relating to disability and wellbeing in the context of work.
The WPS works closely with Work Coaches in Jobs & Benefits Offices to offer advice and guidance regarding individuals who have a disability or health condition and are seeking work or who are experiencing difficulties in work.
The WPS Assessment Service can provide advice to both employers and individuals regarding reasonable adjustments and possible alternative employment options, when the individual is at risk of losing their job as a result of their disability or health condition.
Developed withActionsContent category
Source URL
/content/disability-support-work-psychology-team
Links
Employ and support people with disabilities
Using work trials to recruit people with disabilities - JP Corry
How JP Corry's Dromore branch has adapted its recruitment processes to take on a person with a disability.
JP Corry is one of Northern Ireland’s leading builder’s merchants, supplying building materials to the trade, self-build, DIY, and architectural markets. The business operates from a network of 17 branches across Northern Ireland and the Isle of Man, employing around 265 staff.
Stephen Gibson, Branch Manager at JP Corry in Dromore, explains how the organisation has adapted their employment policies and recruitment processes to take on and support a person with a disability.
Reducing barriers for people with disabilities
"As a company, we strive to be inclusive and diverse. We want to make it easy for everyone to access our services, whether as a customer, supplier, or employee."
"JP Corry is proud to support the JAM Card scheme, which helps people with communication barriers and hidden disabilities receive tailored customer care. As a company whose purpose is to 'build our future by helping others build theirs', we believe in providing employment opportunities to disabled people."
"Our human resources team works closely with organisations that represent minority groups, such as Disability Action, NOW Group, and WOMEN'STEC, to ensure that they are informed of our employment opportunities."
Using work trials in our business
"JP Corry has equal opportunities policies and diversity training to ensure that we recruit staff fairly. Offering a work trial to potential recruits, particularly disabled people, has benefited both the individual and the business."
"Working with Disability Action, we set up our first work trial, where a disabled person came to work with us to understand what it would be like to be employed in our company before applying for a job. The experience was positive, and we recognised the potential of the person during the work trial. They subsequently applied for and secured the job successfully."
"Other branches of JP Corry have also seen the advantages of work trials and have adopted a similar approach by using the Work Experience Programme provided by the Department for Communities to offer employment opportunities."
Accessing local help and support
"Many local organisations have supported us along our journey with work trials. Some employees have completed a qualification in customer service through the NOW Group, providing insight into how disabled people can contribute to a high level of customer service. Disability Action has also been available to advise us when needed."
"To keep our organisation up-to-date and engaged, our HR team frequently attends employment conferences and training events. This continuous improvement activity along with the good relationships we have built with relevant charities and business support organisations ensures we have the support we need."
Lessons learned
"The work trials have benefited the organisation and the staff that we have hired. Some work trials will not always result in longer-term opportunities, but that can be positive as you haven't started formal training or invested significant time and resources into developing an employee who does not fit the job. It is better to discover at the trial stage whether it will work rather than going through a recruitment and onboarding process for it not to work out and needing to go back to the beginning of the recruitment process."
"Adapting our HR policies and practices to make it easier to recruit and support disabled people has enabled us to reach another talent pool and has enhanced our recruitment strategy. Our Dromore branch has benefited by getting a brilliant recruit who connects and engages with our customers. He brings positive energy to our team, and we have a better focus and understanding."
Also on this siteCase StudyStephen GibsonContent category
Source URL
/jpcorry
Links
Disability support: Condition Management Programme
The Condition Management Programme helps those with a health condition manage symptoms to allow progress towards, moving into and staying in employment.
The Condition Management Programme helps those with a health condition manage symptoms to allow progress towards, move into and stay in employment. The programme is led by healthcare professionals, such as occupational therapists, physiotherapists and mental health nurses.
The Condition Management Programme (CMP) gives support and advice to help people manage conditions including:
- arthritic complaints
- back and neck problems
- chronic fatigue
- depression
- pain
- stress
- heart, circulatory and respiratory disorders
The programme helps to:
- increase understand health conditions
- improve day to day functioning for those affected by health conditions
- increase confidence in those affected by health conditions
- improve your prospects of returning to work or staying in work
It offers advice, education and support on:
- dealing with stress, anxiety, low mood and depression
- coping with pain and fatigue
- relaxation techniques
- communicating with confidence
- developing a healthier lifestyle
- exploring potential options that will help you progress towards employment or help you make a successful return to work
Further information
If this support is something that you think you or your staff could benefit from see further details, including eligibility and how to apply, on the Condition Management Programme.
Developed withContent category
Source URL
/content/disability-support-condition-management-programme
Links
Health & Work Support Branch
In this guide:
- Employ and support people with disabilities
- Recruiting people with disabilities
- Advantages of employing people with disabilities
- Health & Work Support Branch
- Disability support: Workable (NI)
- Disability support: Access to Work (NI)
- Disability support: Work Psychology Team
- Using work trials to recruit people with disabilities - JP Corry
- Disability support: Condition Management Programme
Recruiting people with disabilities
How employers can adjust and take positive steps to recruit people with a disability.
It can be challenging for someone with a disability to get into employment. Opening up your talent pool to make it easier for people with a disability to apply for jobs can bring many benefits to your business – see advantages of employing someone with a disability.
Reasonable adjustments for job applicants
Employers can take a number of steps to make the recruitment process as fair as possible for all applicants by making reasonable adjustments so that applicants without a disability do not have an unfair advantage over those who do have a disability.
Employers must be aware of their legal obligations when recruiting. Under the Disability Discrimination Act, employers:
- must not discriminate against someone with a disability when they are applying for a job
- must consider making reasonable adjustments if an applicant with a disability is at a disadvantage compared to a non-disabled applicant
Employers must consider reasonable adjustments at every stage of the recruitment process:
Application form
If the format, layout or structure of the application form puts someone at a disadvantage you should consider having the application form available in large print, Braille or an audio version for someone who is partially sighted or blind.
Aptitude tests
You should consider making additional time available to complete aptitude tests for someone with a disability who requests a reasonable adjustment. Another adjustment could be allowing test answers to be given verbally.
Interview
Ensure the interview room is fully accessible to all applicants. Be aware that applicants may request a reasonable adjustment to be interviewed at a time when they are more alert or pain-free depending on their disability. Consider training for your interview panel that examines the impact of various disabilities on performance at the interview stage, eg how autism may provide a challenge to an applicant during an interview and how adjustments can be made to help them.
Taking positive action to treat disabled people more favourably
Employers can decide to take a step further in positively recruiting someone with a disability. Unlike other forms of equality legislation, the Disability Discrimination Act allows employers to treat people with a disability more favourably than others through positive action.
An employer is not legally obliged to take positive action but employers can lawfully take positive action steps to treat someone with a disability more favourably. There are a number of positive action measures which an employer can choose to take to recruit someone with a disability, including:
- ring-fencing certain jobs so that they are only open to people with a disability
- offering a guaranteed interview to applicants with a disability who meet the essential criteria for a post
- using non-traditional forms of assessment which may only disadvantage people with a disability
- offering work trial opportunities which may lead to permanent jobs if the placement is successful
- creating an alternative post within your organisation for a person with a disability if there are certain tasks they are unable to perform as a result of their disability
Positive action measures should be carefully planned with advice from appropriate support organisations. Employers must comply with other equality legislation – see avoid discrimination when recruiting staff.
Access disability support
There are a range of government initiatives to help employers take on staff with a disability and also help staff with a disability get the support they need in the workplace – see:
Also on this siteContent category
Source URL
/content/recruiting-people-disabilities
Links
Advantages of employing people with disabilities
Discover the business benefits of employing someone with a disability.
Being a fair and equal opportunities employer not only ensures you meet your legal requirements to prevent discrimination, but you will also tap into a diverse talent pool that can bring many benefits to your business. Employing people with a disability can save you money and boost the profitability of your business.
Benefits of employing people with a disability
Recruit from a wider talent pool
By opening opportunities to people with disabilities you can widen your recruitment pool helping you to attract staff with the skills and talent that can enable your business to grow and thrive.
Promoting an inclusive workplace culture
Hiring people with a disability enhances diversity in your workforce. It can help increase staff morale, motivation, and commitment by demonstrating a workplace culture that values all staff.
Access specialist knowledge and skills
Staff with a disability may bring in specialist knowledge and skills such as understanding the needs of disabled customers, creative problem solving, and having particular attention to detail. Workers with disabilities possess skills and experiences that can offer employers a competitive edge.
Minimise staff turnover
People with disabilities tend to seek stable and reliable work when looking for a job and so tend to stay in their posts longer, helping to reduce staff turnover. This minimises recruitment and training costs incurred to take on new staff. You will also retain staff with years of experience and know-how.
Attract new customers
Having a diverse workforce, including employing people with disabilities, can help you attract disabled customers and potentially a large revenue stream. Employees with a disability can help you look at things from a fresh perspective, develop empathy for customers’ needs, and gain a better understanding of what they value in a business or brand. When your business and its products and services are accessible, you are able to appeal to a much larger and much more diverse audience and customer base.
Procurement opportunities
By employing people with a disability, you will be able to meet any social responsibility recruitment clauses that may apply to access particular tender opportunities and public procurement exercises. See understanding social value in public procurement.
Enhance your corporate image
Being an equal employer makes you look good. Consumers prefer to give their business to organisations that show a strong sense of corporate responsibility including employing a diverse workforce.
Low-cost reasonable adjustments
There can be a stigma to employing someone with a disability. Some employers may unfairly think that reasonable adjustments will be costly and take a lot of time to implement. However, most reasonable adjustments in the workplace can be simple, free, or low cost and there can be government help towards any costs that are incurred.
Encouraging accessibility best practice
Employing people with a disability will help you see things from their perspective. It can encourage the adoption of best practices to create accessible environments using adaptive technologies that are useful to people with and without disabilities.
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Health & Work Support Branch
The specialist support available to help disabled people start or retain employment.
The Health & Work Support Branch (HWSB) staff offers help and advice to both employers and people with disabilities about the range of specialist support available to help people start and retain a job.
You may identify someone who has the skills for your job but have questions about how their disability may affect them in the workplace - such as how they will manage the job. HWSB advisers are located across Northern Ireland and can offer practical advice to help both you and the potential employee overcome any barriers to starting work.
Support available
The type of support available may include advice on the following:
- recruiting people with disabilities
- retaining employees who become disabled
- financial help or support to employ people with disabilities through the Access to Work (NI) and Workable (NI)
- job/employee assessment and job/environment redesign
- equipment and ergonomics in the workplace
- accessibility of premises
- development of disability awareness
- development of good employment practices
- preparation, advice, and guidance to help people with disabilities who are applying for jobs
- encouraging employers to provide dedicated interview times for applicants with disabilities
- providing employers with advice on reasonable adjustments, such as additional time for interview
- offering the employer and the job applicant appropriate options of tailored support during the recruitment process
- offering the employer and the employee appropriate options of tailored support to help the worker with a disability perform to the best of their ability in the workplace
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Disability support: Workable (NI)
Workable (NI) offers support and assistance to both employees and employers to help disabled people move into or retain work.
Workable (NI) provides a flexible range of long-term support and assists people who, due to their disability, encounter substantial barriers to staying in employment. Read more on Workable (NI).
The programme is delivered by three organisations contracted by the Department for Communities (DfC):
These organisations have extensive experience of meeting the vocational needs of people with disabilities. Read further information via the links above about Workable (NI) and the benefits to employers.
The provision under Workable (NI) can include support such as:
- mentoring
- on and off the job training
- disability awareness training
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Disability support: Access to Work (NI)
Access to Work (NI) can provide advice and guidance for your employee's disability needs and if appropriate, a financial grant towards the cost of support.
Access to Work (NI) can help by providing advice and guidance of your employee's disability needs in the workplace and, if appropriate, a financial grant towards the cost of necessary support.
For example, Access to Work (NI) may be able to pay towards the following:
- adaptations to premises and equipment
- communicator support at interviews
- special aids and equipment
- travel to work costs
- a support worker
- travel within work eg to attend a meeting or training course
Depending on your employee's circumstances, Access to Work (NI) may be able to provide support under more than one of these areas.
Read more on Access to Work - practical help at work.
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Disability support: Work Psychology Team
Further help, advice, and guidance in areas relating to work, disability, and health.
The Department for Communities' Work Psychology Service (WPS) offers specialist consultancy to individuals and/or employers seeking advice and guidance in areas relating to disability and wellbeing in the context of work.
The WPS works closely with Work Coaches in Jobs & Benefits Offices to offer advice and guidance regarding individuals who have a disability or health condition and are seeking work or who are experiencing difficulties in work.
The WPS Assessment Service can provide advice to both employers and individuals regarding reasonable adjustments and possible alternative employment options, when the individual is at risk of losing their job as a result of their disability or health condition.
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Employ and support people with disabilities
Using work trials to recruit people with disabilities - JP Corry
How JP Corry's Dromore branch has adapted its recruitment processes to take on a person with a disability.
JP Corry is one of Northern Ireland’s leading builder’s merchants, supplying building materials to the trade, self-build, DIY, and architectural markets. The business operates from a network of 17 branches across Northern Ireland and the Isle of Man, employing around 265 staff.
Stephen Gibson, Branch Manager at JP Corry in Dromore, explains how the organisation has adapted their employment policies and recruitment processes to take on and support a person with a disability.
Reducing barriers for people with disabilities
"As a company, we strive to be inclusive and diverse. We want to make it easy for everyone to access our services, whether as a customer, supplier, or employee."
"JP Corry is proud to support the JAM Card scheme, which helps people with communication barriers and hidden disabilities receive tailored customer care. As a company whose purpose is to 'build our future by helping others build theirs', we believe in providing employment opportunities to disabled people."
"Our human resources team works closely with organisations that represent minority groups, such as Disability Action, NOW Group, and WOMEN'STEC, to ensure that they are informed of our employment opportunities."
Using work trials in our business
"JP Corry has equal opportunities policies and diversity training to ensure that we recruit staff fairly. Offering a work trial to potential recruits, particularly disabled people, has benefited both the individual and the business."
"Working with Disability Action, we set up our first work trial, where a disabled person came to work with us to understand what it would be like to be employed in our company before applying for a job. The experience was positive, and we recognised the potential of the person during the work trial. They subsequently applied for and secured the job successfully."
"Other branches of JP Corry have also seen the advantages of work trials and have adopted a similar approach by using the Work Experience Programme provided by the Department for Communities to offer employment opportunities."
Accessing local help and support
"Many local organisations have supported us along our journey with work trials. Some employees have completed a qualification in customer service through the NOW Group, providing insight into how disabled people can contribute to a high level of customer service. Disability Action has also been available to advise us when needed."
"To keep our organisation up-to-date and engaged, our HR team frequently attends employment conferences and training events. This continuous improvement activity along with the good relationships we have built with relevant charities and business support organisations ensures we have the support we need."
Lessons learned
"The work trials have benefited the organisation and the staff that we have hired. Some work trials will not always result in longer-term opportunities, but that can be positive as you haven't started formal training or invested significant time and resources into developing an employee who does not fit the job. It is better to discover at the trial stage whether it will work rather than going through a recruitment and onboarding process for it not to work out and needing to go back to the beginning of the recruitment process."
"Adapting our HR policies and practices to make it easier to recruit and support disabled people has enabled us to reach another talent pool and has enhanced our recruitment strategy. Our Dromore branch has benefited by getting a brilliant recruit who connects and engages with our customers. He brings positive energy to our team, and we have a better focus and understanding."
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Disability support: Condition Management Programme
The Condition Management Programme helps those with a health condition manage symptoms to allow progress towards, moving into and staying in employment.
The Condition Management Programme helps those with a health condition manage symptoms to allow progress towards, move into and stay in employment. The programme is led by healthcare professionals, such as occupational therapists, physiotherapists and mental health nurses.
The Condition Management Programme (CMP) gives support and advice to help people manage conditions including:
- arthritic complaints
- back and neck problems
- chronic fatigue
- depression
- pain
- stress
- heart, circulatory and respiratory disorders
The programme helps to:
- increase understand health conditions
- improve day to day functioning for those affected by health conditions
- increase confidence in those affected by health conditions
- improve your prospects of returning to work or staying in work
It offers advice, education and support on:
- dealing with stress, anxiety, low mood and depression
- coping with pain and fatigue
- relaxation techniques
- communicating with confidence
- developing a healthier lifestyle
- exploring potential options that will help you progress towards employment or help you make a successful return to work
Further information
If this support is something that you think you or your staff could benefit from see further details, including eligibility and how to apply, on the Condition Management Programme.
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Keep employees informed about pensions
In this guide:
- Know your legal obligations on pensions
- Automatic enrolment into a workplace pension
- Defined benefit pension schemes
- Defined contribution pension schemes
- Stakeholder pensions
- Promoting stakeholder and group personal pensions to employees
- Keep employees informed about pensions
- Contracting-out of the additional State Pension has ended
Automatic enrolment into a workplace pension
The duties employers must comply with on automatic enrolment of workplace pensions.
All employers must provide workers with a qualifying workplace pension. This is called automatic enrolment.
The Pensions Regulator has produced employer guidance on automatic enrolment with help specifically aimed at small and micro employers. If you already have a workplace pension scheme, check with the Pensions Regulator if you can use it for automatic enrolment.
Who will be automatically enrolled?
You must enrol into the scheme all workers who:
- are aged between 22 and the State Pension age
- earn at least £10,000 a year
- work in the UK
You must make an employer's contribution to the pension scheme for those workers.
What about workers who don't have to be automatically enrolled?
Any worker who falls outside the eligible age band - aged 16 to 21, for example, or state pension age to 75 - may opt into workplace pension saving with a minimum contribution from you.
Pension scheme thresholds
However, you don't have to contribute to the pension scheme if the worker earns these amounts or less:
- £6,240 yearly
- £520 monthly
- £480 four-weekly
- £120 weekly
When workers are enrolled into your pension scheme, you must:
- pay at least the minimum contributions to the pension scheme on time
- let workers leave the pension scheme (called 'opting out') if they ask - and refund money that they have paid if they opt out within 1 month
- let workers re-join the scheme at least once a year if they've opted out
- enrol workers back into the scheme once every three years if they've opted out and are still eligible for automatic enrolment
You can't:
- encourage or force workers to opt out of the scheme
- unfairly dismiss or discriminate against workers for staying in a workplace pension scheme
- imply someone's more likely to get a job if they choose to opt out of the pension scheme
- close a workplace pension scheme without automatically enrolling all members into another one
Pensions for seasonal and temporary workers
Like other employees, when recruiting seasonal staff or temporary workers, you must assess them to see if they qualify for automatic enrolment into a workplace pension. Assessing these types of employees can take more time because of varying hours and earnings.
Employers who know their staff will be working for them for less than three months can use postponement. This postpones the legal duty to assess staff for three months. During this postponement period, employers will not need to put staff into a pension unless they ask to be put into one. See the Pensions Regulator's guidance on employing seasonal or temporary staff.
What you must tell your workers
When you automatically enrol workers into a workplace pension scheme, you must write to them. In the letter, you must tell them:
- the date they've been added to the pension scheme
- the type of pension scheme and who runs it
- how much you will contribute and how much the worker will have to pay in
- how workers can leave the scheme if they want to
How much will you have to contribute?
Where a worker is automatically enrolled in a defined contribution (DC) scheme or NEST (the National Employment Savings Trust), there will be a minimum contribution of 8% of qualifying earnings, of which the employer must pay a minimum of 3%. If the employer chooses to pay the minimum 3 per cent, the worker will pay 4%, with a further 1% paid as tax relief by the government. Qualifying earnings are earnings between £6,240 and £50,270.
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Defined benefit pension schemes
Understand final-salary pensions and their legal requirements
Defined benefit pension schemes are also known as 'final salary' or 'salary-related' pensions. They promise to provide individuals with a certain amount each year upon retirement. How much is paid doesn't depend on investments.
The amount you'll get depends on your salary and on how long you've worked for your employer. The pension scheme administrator can give you more details.
Defined benefit pension schemes are usually based on an individual's final earnings at or near retirement - or when they leave the company if this is before retirement - and how long they were in the scheme. These are also known as salary-related or defined benefit schemes. See how to choose the right pension scheme.
Defined benefit pension schemes generally operate through a trust that receives contributions from the employer and employees and pays out members' benefits. The trust's objectives are set out in the trust deed, and the day-to-day decisions are made by the trustees.
Legal obligations
There are a number of legal obligations governing the relationship between the employee, the trust and the employer:
- the employer is bound, like the employee, by the legal obligations of the contract of employment - for example, the payment of pension contributions
- all trustees, including those nominated by the employer, must act in the interests of all the scheme's beneficiaries - which includes scheme members, but may in some rare situations also include the sponsoring employer rather than those of the company
- the employer has a duty to notify the Pensions Regulator if there is any reason to think that there are any problems or wrongdoings occurring in the scheme and that the wrongdoing is important to the Pensions Regulator
- the employer is responsible for ensuring that any employee contributions deducted from pay reach the pension scheme within 19 days of the end of the month in which they were deducted, and that any employer contribution arrives when it is due
- the employer must ensure that the assets of the pension fund are kept totally separate from those of the business
- the employer must ensure that employees are informed and consulted on developments that affect the pension fund
- trustees must be assisted in the performance of their duties - employee trustees must be given paid time off to undertake those duties and any necessary training
The Pensions Regulator provides a free, online learning programme called the Trustee toolkit.
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Defined contribution pension schemes
An overview of money-purchase pensions and employers' responsibilities in respect of them.
In a defined contribution pension scheme, also known as a 'money purchase' scheme, the final pension amount will depend on:
- the amount of money paid in
- the investment performance of the pension fund
- the age at which the fund is used to purchase an annuity - the later this is, the higher the annuity payments are likely to be
- the level of annuity rates at the time
- the ancillary benefits offered - such as spouses' pensions, or annual increases in pensions paid
Some employers provide occupational-defined contribution pension schemes for their employees. Both employers and employees can make payments into such a pension scheme. Once the employee leaves, these payments cease.
Investment risk
The investment risk is moved from the employer to the employee with an occupational defined contribution scheme and the risk that the employer will have to find substantial extra sums of money to fund the scheme because of poor investment performance is eliminated.
Occupational defined contribution schemes generally operate through a trust. Objectives are set out in the trust deed and day-to-day decisions are made by the trustees. Employers still have some key responsibilities, either as employers or as trustees - for example, on the level of employer contribution, or the extent of provision for dependants.
Defined contribution schemes must offer members the open market option whereby members can transfer funds at retirement to draw an immediate annuity with another provider. Members of a defined contribution scheme approaching retirement will need timely information on this option and other retirement income options.
Pension payments
Employees can also make regular payments for their retirement through individual personal pension schemes. These are defined contribution schemes and the risk of poor investment performance is carried by the employee. In some cases, employers will make payments into these schemes for the benefit of their employees.
Some employers may also arrange for a pension provider to set up a group personal pension (GPP) arrangement. In a GPP, employees contribute to individual personal pensions which are then grouped together and managed by the pension provider, to reduce costs. The employer may often pay the administration costs of running a GPP.
Tax relief on pensions
Employees can contribute up to 100% of their earnings and get tax relief (or even if an employee's earnings are less than £4,000 a year they can get tax relief on contributions up to that amount as long as the scheme uses the relief at source method for giving tax relief). However, there is a limit on the amount of tax relief that may be given on pension scheme contributions and other increases in pension rights each year. The annual allowance for tax year 2024-25 is £60,000.
Tax on your private pension contributions.
Employer contributions also generally qualify for tax relief as they can be set off as expenses, although employers should seek professional advice to make sure their contributions qualify as true business expenses. See how to choose the right pension scheme.
Most personal pension decisions are made by individual pension holders and the pension managers (the 'pension providers'), or investment specialists. However, employers are still legally obliged to ensure that employee contributions deducted from wages reach the fund within 19 days of the end of the month in which they were deducted.
The responsibility for registering the pension scheme rests with the pension provider. You must also keep employees informed about pensions.
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Stakeholder pensions
Overview of stakeholder pensions for employers.
Stakeholder pensions work in the same way as personal pension arrangements and are normally accessed through an employer, although they can also be bought directly from the pension provider.
The rules for stakeholder pensions changed on 1 October 2012. Employers are no longer required to designate a stakeholder scheme for their employees. However, stakeholder pension schemes can be used by employers for automatic enrolment purposes provided the scheme meets the necessary criteria.
If you had employees in a stakeholder pension scheme before 1 October 2012, you must carry on taking workers' contributions from their pay and send them to the scheme if the worker wants you to.
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Promoting stakeholder and group personal pensions to employees
Ways employers can promote their schemes without infringing financial regulations.
You may be thinking of offering, or have already offered, your employees a stakeholder or group personal pension scheme. You may want to promote your pension scheme to them or find that they are looking to you for help. But as financial services are regulated, you may be unsure about what you can do.
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) regulates financial services in the UK. They offer information about what you can do to promote your stakeholder or group personal pension scheme to your employees and how you can give them further help or advice without needing to be authorised. Download an FCA employers' guide on promoting pensions to employees (PDF, 165K).
The FCA guide only covers stakeholder pension schemes and group personal pension schemes. It does not cover occupational pension schemes.
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Keep employees informed about pensions
When you need to keep employees informed of changes to your workplace pension scheme.
You now have a duty to inform and consult your employees about significant changes in any occupational pension scheme you offer, or personal pension schemes you contribute to, by a direct payment arrangement on behalf of your staff.
Occupational pension schemes
For occupational schemes, you need to inform and consult on changes about:
- increasing the pension age
- closing the scheme to new members
- closing the scheme to existing members
- removing liability for employer contributions
- introducing member contributions
- reducing employer contributions to defined contribution schemes
- changing to money-purchase benefits
- changing the method of determining the rate of future accrual
Personal pension schemes
For personal pension schemes, you need to inform and consult on changes about:
- ceasing employer contributions
- reducing employer contributions
- increasing employee contributions
You have to provide information to affected members and/or their representatives in writing before the changes occur. You must describe the changes and their effect on members, accompany it with relevant background information and indicate the timescale. At least 60 days of consultation must be allowed before the decision to make the change is made. Consultation must be conducted with a view to cooperation.
There are some exceptions to the consulting requirement. It does not apply to:
- employers with less than 50 employees
- public service schemes
- small occupational schemes with less than 12 members who are all trustees of the scheme
- occupational schemes with less than two members
- schemes not registered with HM Revenue & Customs
If you are consulting with employee representatives, you must give them paid time to undertake their duties and must not subject them to dismissal or any other detriment due to their need for such time - otherwise, they can take you to an industrial tribunal.
See how to inform and consult your employees.
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Contracting-out of the additional State Pension has ended
Contracting-out of the additional State Pension ended on 6 April 2016.
On 6 April 2016, the Pensions Act 2014 and the Pensions Act (Northern Ireland) 2015 introduced a new State Pension in Great Britain and Northern Ireland for people reaching State Pension age on or after 6 April 2016.
This scheme replaces the basic and additional State Pension and ends contracting-out and the National Insurance rebate.
To assist employers and employees, factsheets and overviews in relation to the ending of contracting out have been prepared by the Department for Work and Pensions and HM Revenue & Customs.
References in the guidance to the Pensions Act 2014 should be taken as including references to the Pensions Act (Northern Ireland) 2015.
Download an overview for employers on the new State Pension from 6 April 2016 (PDF, 122K).
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When you must contact the Child Maintenance Service
How to make deductions
When employers will receive a deduction from earnings order from CMS, what they should do with it and why it might need to be amended.
You must deduct the amount of child maintenance stated on the deduction from earnings order (DEO) from your employee’s net earnings or pension.
By law you must send payments to the Child Maintenance Service. They’ll send the money to the other parent to help cover their child’s living costs.
How it works
- Check what counts as earnings.
- Calculate 60% of your employee’s net earnings (known as their ‘protected earnings’).
- Make the deduction from your employee’s net earnings - as long as it leaves them with their protected earnings.
- Take off an extra £1 towards your administrative costs (if you want to).
- Send the deduction to the Child Maintenance Service.
If you’re unable to deduct the full amount from their protected earnings, you must send an updated payment schedule to the Child Maintenance Service.
How to calculate protected earnings
You must make sure that your deduction leaves your employee with at least 60% of their net earnings (known as ‘protected earnings’).
You can still deduct the £1 administrative cost if it takes your employee’s income below their protected earnings rate - but not if it takes their income below the National Minimum Wage.
If you can deduct the full amount from your employee’s protected earnings
Deduct the full amount from your employee’s earnings if it does not affect their protected earnings. Send it to the Child Maintenance Service as soon as you make the deduction.
Example
The amount your employee owes in child maintenance is £150 a month.
Your employee’s net earnings are £1,200 a month.
Their protected earnings are £720 a month.
Net earnings of £1,200 minus the protected earnings of £720 = £480.
In this case, the employee has enough left for you to deduct the full amount of £150.
If you cannot deduct the full amount from your employee’s protected earnings
If you cannot deduct the full amount, you must:
- send any deduction you’ve been able to make to the Child Maintenance Service
- keep a record of the unpaid difference
- send an updated payment schedule to the Child Maintenance Service
You must calculate the unpaid difference, plus the regular amount your employee owes in child maintenance the next time you pay them. You must still leave your employee with their protected earnings.
Example
The amount your employee owes in child maintenance is £250 a month.
Your employee’s net earnings are £500 a month.
Their protected earnings are £300 a month.
Net earnings of £500 minus the protected earnings of £300 = £200.
In this case, the employee does not have enough left for you to deduct the full amount of £250.
You must send £200 to the Child Maintenance Service.
The unpaid difference of £50 is carried forward to the next time you pay your employee.
If the unpaid difference is carried forward for several weeks before being repaid, keep a record of the ongoing amount.
If you pay your employee holiday pay in advance
You’ll have to:
- calculate your employee’s total net earnings for the pay period
- multiply the protected earnings and the deduction by the number of weeks in the pay period
- send the deduction to the Child Maintenance Service
Example
The earnings include 1 week’s pay plus 2 weeks’ holiday pay paid in advance.
Your employee has net earnings of £160 a week.
The amount your employee owes in child maintenance is £32 a week and the protected earnings are £96 a week.
Your employee’s net earnings are £160 x 3 = £480 (1 week’s pay + 2 weeks’ holiday pay).
Net earnings of £480 minus the protected earnings of £96 x 3 (£288) = £192
In this case, the employee has enough left for you to deduct the full amount of £96 (£32 x 3).
If you need to deduct other debts from your employees' pay
If your employee has other debt to pay, for example, council tax debt, a court can issue:
- an Attachment of Earnings Order (England, Wales, and Northern Ireland)
- Earnings Arrestment Order (Scotland)
How you prioritise a deduction depends on which country the order was issued in.
In England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, a DEO takes priority unless you have received a priority Attachment of Earnings Order (AEO) for your employee.
In Scotland, a DEO takes priority over other deductions.
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What counts as earnings
How CMS calculates earnings for the purposes of deduction from earnings orders.
A Deduction from Earnings Order (DEO) can only be made from an employee's net earnings.
When calculating a DEO amount, net earnings means earnings after the deduction of:
- Income Tax
- Class 1 National Insurance
- pension or superannuation contributions
You can make a deduction from the following earnings:
- wages, fees, bonus, commission, overtime pay or any payments on top of wages
- private or occupational pensions and compensation payments
- Statutory Sick Pay
- contractual sick pay
- contractual maternity pay
- contractual paternity pay
- contractual adoption pay
- contractual redundancy pay
Statutory pay is money that your employees are entitled to by law. Contractual pay is what you agree with your employees in addition to statutory pay.
What does not count as earnings
You cannot make a deduction from any of the following:
- amounts paid by a public department of any country outside the UK
- any social security pension, allowance, or benefit
- tax credits
- any pension or allowance paid for disability
- guaranteed minimum pension within the Social Security Pensions (Northern Ireland) Order 1975
- Statutory Maternity Pay
- Statutory Paternity Pay
- Statutory Adoption Pay
- Statutory Redundancy Pay
If any of these payments are your employee's only income, do not make a deduction. You should update your payment schedule.
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Make deduction from earnings order (DEO) payments
How and when employers should make child maintenance payments to the Child Maintenance Service.
Send deduction from earnings order (DEO) payments to the Child Maintenance Service as soon as you make a deduction.
If you cannot make the full deduction you must send an updated payment schedule to the Child Maintenance Service by post or online.
If you have more than one employee with a DEO, send each payment separately.
You can be fined £500 for each missed payment and up to £1,000 for not providing information you’ve been asked for.
Paying the Child Maintenance Service
You can pay by:
- using the online service
- calling the Child Maintenance Service Employer Payment Team
- using the Banks Automated Clearing System (Bacs), Faster Payments or CHAPS transfer
- sending a cheque to the Child Maintenance Service
Pay using the online service
You can manage your Child Maintenance Service payments online. You need to contact the Child Maintenance Service Employer Payment Team to register.
Pay by phone
Phone the Child Maintenance Service Employer Payment Team.
Child Maintenance Service Employer Payment Team
Telephone: 0800 232 1961
Text relay number: 18001 0800 171 2345
Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm
nidirect guidance on contacting 08 and 03 telephone numbersPay by Bacs, Faster Payments or CHAPS
You can make a transfer from your bank account by either Bacs, Faster Payments or CHAPS.
You should use:
- sort code 60 70 80
- account number 10026584
- account name: DWPCMGEMPLOYER
- account code: 0
- transaction code: 99
You'll need to give the employee's National Insurance number as the reference.
Pay by cheque
Send a cheque made payable to ‘Child Maintenance Service’.
Child Maintenance Service 21
Mail Handling Site A
Wolverhampton
WV98 2BUThe cheque must:
- match the amount on the payment schedule
- have your employer reference number on the back - this is a 12-digit number starting with 5
- have your employee’s National Insurance number on the back
If you have more than one employee with a DEO, send a copy of your payment schedule with the cheque.
If you need help with a payment
You can either:
- manage your Child Maintenance Service payments online
- call the Child Maintenance Service Employer Payment Team
Child Maintenance Service Employer Payment Team
Telephone: 0800 232 1961
Text relay number: 18001 0800 171 2345
Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm
nidirect guidance on contacting 08 and 03 telephone numbersTell your employee
You must tell your employee in writing about each deduction when you give them their pay statement. Include whether you have taken £1 administrative costs.
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Updating your payment schedule
Updating your payment schedule when making child maintenance deductions from employee pay.
You’ll get a monthly payment schedule by post after you’ve been sent a deduction from earnings order (DEO).
It will tell you all your employees who have a DEO and the amount due for each employee.
You must send an updated payment schedule to the Child Maintenance Service if you cannot send the full deduction amount.
You must include how much you’ve deducted and why you’ve not been able to deduct the full amount.
How to send an updated payment schedule
You can update your payment schedule online.
You can also fill in the form you received in the post and send or email it to the Child Maintenance Service Employer Payment Team.
Child Maintenance Service Employer Payment Team
2012scheme.employerservice@dwp.gov.ukChild Maintenance Service Employer Payment Team
Child Maintenance Service 21
Mail Handling Site A
Wolverhampton
WV98 2BUDeveloped withActionsAlso on this siteContent category
Source URL
/content/updating-your-payment-schedule
Links
When you must contact the Child Maintenance Service
In which circumstances an employer must contact the Child Maintenance Service.
You must contact the Child Maintenance Service within 10 days if:
- you’re asked to set up a deduction from earnings order (DEO) for someone who does not work for you
- there’s a problem setting up an employee’s DEO
- your employee leaves your employment
- your business stops trading
How to contact the Child Maintenance Service
You can either:
- use the Child Maintenance Service online
- call the Child Maintenance Service Employer Payment Team
Child Maintenance Service Employer Payment Team
Email: 2012scheme.employerservice@dwp.gov.uk
Telephone: 0800 232 1961
Text relay number: 18001 0800 171 2345
Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm
nidirect guidance on contacting 08 and 03 telephone numbersDeveloped withAlso on this siteContent category
Source URL
/content/when-you-must-contact-child-maintenance-service
Links
Updating your payment schedule
How to make deductions
When employers will receive a deduction from earnings order from CMS, what they should do with it and why it might need to be amended.
You must deduct the amount of child maintenance stated on the deduction from earnings order (DEO) from your employee’s net earnings or pension.
By law you must send payments to the Child Maintenance Service. They’ll send the money to the other parent to help cover their child’s living costs.
How it works
- Check what counts as earnings.
- Calculate 60% of your employee’s net earnings (known as their ‘protected earnings’).
- Make the deduction from your employee’s net earnings - as long as it leaves them with their protected earnings.
- Take off an extra £1 towards your administrative costs (if you want to).
- Send the deduction to the Child Maintenance Service.
If you’re unable to deduct the full amount from their protected earnings, you must send an updated payment schedule to the Child Maintenance Service.
How to calculate protected earnings
You must make sure that your deduction leaves your employee with at least 60% of their net earnings (known as ‘protected earnings’).
You can still deduct the £1 administrative cost if it takes your employee’s income below their protected earnings rate - but not if it takes their income below the National Minimum Wage.
If you can deduct the full amount from your employee’s protected earnings
Deduct the full amount from your employee’s earnings if it does not affect their protected earnings. Send it to the Child Maintenance Service as soon as you make the deduction.
Example
The amount your employee owes in child maintenance is £150 a month.
Your employee’s net earnings are £1,200 a month.
Their protected earnings are £720 a month.
Net earnings of £1,200 minus the protected earnings of £720 = £480.
In this case, the employee has enough left for you to deduct the full amount of £150.
If you cannot deduct the full amount from your employee’s protected earnings
If you cannot deduct the full amount, you must:
- send any deduction you’ve been able to make to the Child Maintenance Service
- keep a record of the unpaid difference
- send an updated payment schedule to the Child Maintenance Service
You must calculate the unpaid difference, plus the regular amount your employee owes in child maintenance the next time you pay them. You must still leave your employee with their protected earnings.
Example
The amount your employee owes in child maintenance is £250 a month.
Your employee’s net earnings are £500 a month.
Their protected earnings are £300 a month.
Net earnings of £500 minus the protected earnings of £300 = £200.
In this case, the employee does not have enough left for you to deduct the full amount of £250.
You must send £200 to the Child Maintenance Service.
The unpaid difference of £50 is carried forward to the next time you pay your employee.
If the unpaid difference is carried forward for several weeks before being repaid, keep a record of the ongoing amount.
If you pay your employee holiday pay in advance
You’ll have to:
- calculate your employee’s total net earnings for the pay period
- multiply the protected earnings and the deduction by the number of weeks in the pay period
- send the deduction to the Child Maintenance Service
Example
The earnings include 1 week’s pay plus 2 weeks’ holiday pay paid in advance.
Your employee has net earnings of £160 a week.
The amount your employee owes in child maintenance is £32 a week and the protected earnings are £96 a week.
Your employee’s net earnings are £160 x 3 = £480 (1 week’s pay + 2 weeks’ holiday pay).
Net earnings of £480 minus the protected earnings of £96 x 3 (£288) = £192
In this case, the employee has enough left for you to deduct the full amount of £96 (£32 x 3).
If you need to deduct other debts from your employees' pay
If your employee has other debt to pay, for example, council tax debt, a court can issue:
- an Attachment of Earnings Order (England, Wales, and Northern Ireland)
- Earnings Arrestment Order (Scotland)
How you prioritise a deduction depends on which country the order was issued in.
In England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, a DEO takes priority unless you have received a priority Attachment of Earnings Order (AEO) for your employee.
In Scotland, a DEO takes priority over other deductions.
Developed withActionsAlso on this siteContent category
Source URL
/content/how-make-deductions
Links
What counts as earnings
How CMS calculates earnings for the purposes of deduction from earnings orders.
A Deduction from Earnings Order (DEO) can only be made from an employee's net earnings.
When calculating a DEO amount, net earnings means earnings after the deduction of:
- Income Tax
- Class 1 National Insurance
- pension or superannuation contributions
You can make a deduction from the following earnings:
- wages, fees, bonus, commission, overtime pay or any payments on top of wages
- private or occupational pensions and compensation payments
- Statutory Sick Pay
- contractual sick pay
- contractual maternity pay
- contractual paternity pay
- contractual adoption pay
- contractual redundancy pay
Statutory pay is money that your employees are entitled to by law. Contractual pay is what you agree with your employees in addition to statutory pay.
What does not count as earnings
You cannot make a deduction from any of the following:
- amounts paid by a public department of any country outside the UK
- any social security pension, allowance, or benefit
- tax credits
- any pension or allowance paid for disability
- guaranteed minimum pension within the Social Security Pensions (Northern Ireland) Order 1975
- Statutory Maternity Pay
- Statutory Paternity Pay
- Statutory Adoption Pay
- Statutory Redundancy Pay
If any of these payments are your employee's only income, do not make a deduction. You should update your payment schedule.
Developed withActionsAlso on this siteContent category
Source URL
/content/what-counts-earnings
Links
Make deduction from earnings order (DEO) payments
How and when employers should make child maintenance payments to the Child Maintenance Service.
Send deduction from earnings order (DEO) payments to the Child Maintenance Service as soon as you make a deduction.
If you cannot make the full deduction you must send an updated payment schedule to the Child Maintenance Service by post or online.
If you have more than one employee with a DEO, send each payment separately.
You can be fined £500 for each missed payment and up to £1,000 for not providing information you’ve been asked for.
Paying the Child Maintenance Service
You can pay by:
- using the online service
- calling the Child Maintenance Service Employer Payment Team
- using the Banks Automated Clearing System (Bacs), Faster Payments or CHAPS transfer
- sending a cheque to the Child Maintenance Service
Pay using the online service
You can manage your Child Maintenance Service payments online. You need to contact the Child Maintenance Service Employer Payment Team to register.
Pay by phone
Phone the Child Maintenance Service Employer Payment Team.
Child Maintenance Service Employer Payment Team
Telephone: 0800 232 1961
Text relay number: 18001 0800 171 2345
Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm
nidirect guidance on contacting 08 and 03 telephone numbersPay by Bacs, Faster Payments or CHAPS
You can make a transfer from your bank account by either Bacs, Faster Payments or CHAPS.
You should use:
- sort code 60 70 80
- account number 10026584
- account name: DWPCMGEMPLOYER
- account code: 0
- transaction code: 99
You'll need to give the employee's National Insurance number as the reference.
Pay by cheque
Send a cheque made payable to ‘Child Maintenance Service’.
Child Maintenance Service 21
Mail Handling Site A
Wolverhampton
WV98 2BUThe cheque must:
- match the amount on the payment schedule
- have your employer reference number on the back - this is a 12-digit number starting with 5
- have your employee’s National Insurance number on the back
If you have more than one employee with a DEO, send a copy of your payment schedule with the cheque.
If you need help with a payment
You can either:
- manage your Child Maintenance Service payments online
- call the Child Maintenance Service Employer Payment Team
Child Maintenance Service Employer Payment Team
Telephone: 0800 232 1961
Text relay number: 18001 0800 171 2345
Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm
nidirect guidance on contacting 08 and 03 telephone numbersTell your employee
You must tell your employee in writing about each deduction when you give them their pay statement. Include whether you have taken £1 administrative costs.
Developed withActionsAlso on this siteContent category
Source URL
/content/make-deduction-earnings-order-deo-payments
Links
Updating your payment schedule
Updating your payment schedule when making child maintenance deductions from employee pay.
You’ll get a monthly payment schedule by post after you’ve been sent a deduction from earnings order (DEO).
It will tell you all your employees who have a DEO and the amount due for each employee.
You must send an updated payment schedule to the Child Maintenance Service if you cannot send the full deduction amount.
You must include how much you’ve deducted and why you’ve not been able to deduct the full amount.
How to send an updated payment schedule
You can update your payment schedule online.
You can also fill in the form you received in the post and send or email it to the Child Maintenance Service Employer Payment Team.
Child Maintenance Service Employer Payment Team
2012scheme.employerservice@dwp.gov.ukChild Maintenance Service Employer Payment Team
Child Maintenance Service 21
Mail Handling Site A
Wolverhampton
WV98 2BUDeveloped withActionsAlso on this siteContent category
Source URL
/content/updating-your-payment-schedule
Links
When you must contact the Child Maintenance Service
In which circumstances an employer must contact the Child Maintenance Service.
You must contact the Child Maintenance Service within 10 days if:
- you’re asked to set up a deduction from earnings order (DEO) for someone who does not work for you
- there’s a problem setting up an employee’s DEO
- your employee leaves your employment
- your business stops trading
How to contact the Child Maintenance Service
You can either:
- use the Child Maintenance Service online
- call the Child Maintenance Service Employer Payment Team
Child Maintenance Service Employer Payment Team
Email: 2012scheme.employerservice@dwp.gov.uk
Telephone: 0800 232 1961
Text relay number: 18001 0800 171 2345
Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm
nidirect guidance on contacting 08 and 03 telephone numbersDeveloped withAlso on this siteContent category
Source URL
/content/when-you-must-contact-child-maintenance-service
Links
Make deduction from earnings order (DEO) payments
How to make deductions
When employers will receive a deduction from earnings order from CMS, what they should do with it and why it might need to be amended.
You must deduct the amount of child maintenance stated on the deduction from earnings order (DEO) from your employee’s net earnings or pension.
By law you must send payments to the Child Maintenance Service. They’ll send the money to the other parent to help cover their child’s living costs.
How it works
- Check what counts as earnings.
- Calculate 60% of your employee’s net earnings (known as their ‘protected earnings’).
- Make the deduction from your employee’s net earnings - as long as it leaves them with their protected earnings.
- Take off an extra £1 towards your administrative costs (if you want to).
- Send the deduction to the Child Maintenance Service.
If you’re unable to deduct the full amount from their protected earnings, you must send an updated payment schedule to the Child Maintenance Service.
How to calculate protected earnings
You must make sure that your deduction leaves your employee with at least 60% of their net earnings (known as ‘protected earnings’).
You can still deduct the £1 administrative cost if it takes your employee’s income below their protected earnings rate - but not if it takes their income below the National Minimum Wage.
If you can deduct the full amount from your employee’s protected earnings
Deduct the full amount from your employee’s earnings if it does not affect their protected earnings. Send it to the Child Maintenance Service as soon as you make the deduction.
Example
The amount your employee owes in child maintenance is £150 a month.
Your employee’s net earnings are £1,200 a month.
Their protected earnings are £720 a month.
Net earnings of £1,200 minus the protected earnings of £720 = £480.
In this case, the employee has enough left for you to deduct the full amount of £150.
If you cannot deduct the full amount from your employee’s protected earnings
If you cannot deduct the full amount, you must:
- send any deduction you’ve been able to make to the Child Maintenance Service
- keep a record of the unpaid difference
- send an updated payment schedule to the Child Maintenance Service
You must calculate the unpaid difference, plus the regular amount your employee owes in child maintenance the next time you pay them. You must still leave your employee with their protected earnings.
Example
The amount your employee owes in child maintenance is £250 a month.
Your employee’s net earnings are £500 a month.
Their protected earnings are £300 a month.
Net earnings of £500 minus the protected earnings of £300 = £200.
In this case, the employee does not have enough left for you to deduct the full amount of £250.
You must send £200 to the Child Maintenance Service.
The unpaid difference of £50 is carried forward to the next time you pay your employee.
If the unpaid difference is carried forward for several weeks before being repaid, keep a record of the ongoing amount.
If you pay your employee holiday pay in advance
You’ll have to:
- calculate your employee’s total net earnings for the pay period
- multiply the protected earnings and the deduction by the number of weeks in the pay period
- send the deduction to the Child Maintenance Service
Example
The earnings include 1 week’s pay plus 2 weeks’ holiday pay paid in advance.
Your employee has net earnings of £160 a week.
The amount your employee owes in child maintenance is £32 a week and the protected earnings are £96 a week.
Your employee’s net earnings are £160 x 3 = £480 (1 week’s pay + 2 weeks’ holiday pay).
Net earnings of £480 minus the protected earnings of £96 x 3 (£288) = £192
In this case, the employee has enough left for you to deduct the full amount of £96 (£32 x 3).
If you need to deduct other debts from your employees' pay
If your employee has other debt to pay, for example, council tax debt, a court can issue:
- an Attachment of Earnings Order (England, Wales, and Northern Ireland)
- Earnings Arrestment Order (Scotland)
How you prioritise a deduction depends on which country the order was issued in.
In England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, a DEO takes priority unless you have received a priority Attachment of Earnings Order (AEO) for your employee.
In Scotland, a DEO takes priority over other deductions.
Developed withActionsAlso on this siteContent category
Source URL
/content/how-make-deductions
Links
What counts as earnings
How CMS calculates earnings for the purposes of deduction from earnings orders.
A Deduction from Earnings Order (DEO) can only be made from an employee's net earnings.
When calculating a DEO amount, net earnings means earnings after the deduction of:
- Income Tax
- Class 1 National Insurance
- pension or superannuation contributions
You can make a deduction from the following earnings:
- wages, fees, bonus, commission, overtime pay or any payments on top of wages
- private or occupational pensions and compensation payments
- Statutory Sick Pay
- contractual sick pay
- contractual maternity pay
- contractual paternity pay
- contractual adoption pay
- contractual redundancy pay
Statutory pay is money that your employees are entitled to by law. Contractual pay is what you agree with your employees in addition to statutory pay.
What does not count as earnings
You cannot make a deduction from any of the following:
- amounts paid by a public department of any country outside the UK
- any social security pension, allowance, or benefit
- tax credits
- any pension or allowance paid for disability
- guaranteed minimum pension within the Social Security Pensions (Northern Ireland) Order 1975
- Statutory Maternity Pay
- Statutory Paternity Pay
- Statutory Adoption Pay
- Statutory Redundancy Pay
If any of these payments are your employee's only income, do not make a deduction. You should update your payment schedule.
Developed withActionsAlso on this siteContent category
Source URL
/content/what-counts-earnings
Links
Make deduction from earnings order (DEO) payments
How and when employers should make child maintenance payments to the Child Maintenance Service.
Send deduction from earnings order (DEO) payments to the Child Maintenance Service as soon as you make a deduction.
If you cannot make the full deduction you must send an updated payment schedule to the Child Maintenance Service by post or online.
If you have more than one employee with a DEO, send each payment separately.
You can be fined £500 for each missed payment and up to £1,000 for not providing information you’ve been asked for.
Paying the Child Maintenance Service
You can pay by:
- using the online service
- calling the Child Maintenance Service Employer Payment Team
- using the Banks Automated Clearing System (Bacs), Faster Payments or CHAPS transfer
- sending a cheque to the Child Maintenance Service
Pay using the online service
You can manage your Child Maintenance Service payments online. You need to contact the Child Maintenance Service Employer Payment Team to register.
Pay by phone
Phone the Child Maintenance Service Employer Payment Team.
Child Maintenance Service Employer Payment Team
Telephone: 0800 232 1961
Text relay number: 18001 0800 171 2345
Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm
nidirect guidance on contacting 08 and 03 telephone numbersPay by Bacs, Faster Payments or CHAPS
You can make a transfer from your bank account by either Bacs, Faster Payments or CHAPS.
You should use:
- sort code 60 70 80
- account number 10026584
- account name: DWPCMGEMPLOYER
- account code: 0
- transaction code: 99
You'll need to give the employee's National Insurance number as the reference.
Pay by cheque
Send a cheque made payable to ‘Child Maintenance Service’.
Child Maintenance Service 21
Mail Handling Site A
Wolverhampton
WV98 2BUThe cheque must:
- match the amount on the payment schedule
- have your employer reference number on the back - this is a 12-digit number starting with 5
- have your employee’s National Insurance number on the back
If you have more than one employee with a DEO, send a copy of your payment schedule with the cheque.
If you need help with a payment
You can either:
- manage your Child Maintenance Service payments online
- call the Child Maintenance Service Employer Payment Team
Child Maintenance Service Employer Payment Team
Telephone: 0800 232 1961
Text relay number: 18001 0800 171 2345
Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm
nidirect guidance on contacting 08 and 03 telephone numbersTell your employee
You must tell your employee in writing about each deduction when you give them their pay statement. Include whether you have taken £1 administrative costs.
Developed withActionsAlso on this siteContent category
Source URL
/content/make-deduction-earnings-order-deo-payments
Links
Updating your payment schedule
Updating your payment schedule when making child maintenance deductions from employee pay.
You’ll get a monthly payment schedule by post after you’ve been sent a deduction from earnings order (DEO).
It will tell you all your employees who have a DEO and the amount due for each employee.
You must send an updated payment schedule to the Child Maintenance Service if you cannot send the full deduction amount.
You must include how much you’ve deducted and why you’ve not been able to deduct the full amount.
How to send an updated payment schedule
You can update your payment schedule online.
You can also fill in the form you received in the post and send or email it to the Child Maintenance Service Employer Payment Team.
Child Maintenance Service Employer Payment Team
2012scheme.employerservice@dwp.gov.ukChild Maintenance Service Employer Payment Team
Child Maintenance Service 21
Mail Handling Site A
Wolverhampton
WV98 2BUDeveloped withActionsAlso on this siteContent category
Source URL
/content/updating-your-payment-schedule
Links
When you must contact the Child Maintenance Service
In which circumstances an employer must contact the Child Maintenance Service.
You must contact the Child Maintenance Service within 10 days if:
- you’re asked to set up a deduction from earnings order (DEO) for someone who does not work for you
- there’s a problem setting up an employee’s DEO
- your employee leaves your employment
- your business stops trading
How to contact the Child Maintenance Service
You can either:
- use the Child Maintenance Service online
- call the Child Maintenance Service Employer Payment Team
Child Maintenance Service Employer Payment Team
Email: 2012scheme.employerservice@dwp.gov.uk
Telephone: 0800 232 1961
Text relay number: 18001 0800 171 2345
Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm
nidirect guidance on contacting 08 and 03 telephone numbersDeveloped withAlso on this siteContent category
Source URL
/content/when-you-must-contact-child-maintenance-service
Links
What counts as earnings
How to make deductions
When employers will receive a deduction from earnings order from CMS, what they should do with it and why it might need to be amended.
You must deduct the amount of child maintenance stated on the deduction from earnings order (DEO) from your employee’s net earnings or pension.
By law you must send payments to the Child Maintenance Service. They’ll send the money to the other parent to help cover their child’s living costs.
How it works
- Check what counts as earnings.
- Calculate 60% of your employee’s net earnings (known as their ‘protected earnings’).
- Make the deduction from your employee’s net earnings - as long as it leaves them with their protected earnings.
- Take off an extra £1 towards your administrative costs (if you want to).
- Send the deduction to the Child Maintenance Service.
If you’re unable to deduct the full amount from their protected earnings, you must send an updated payment schedule to the Child Maintenance Service.
How to calculate protected earnings
You must make sure that your deduction leaves your employee with at least 60% of their net earnings (known as ‘protected earnings’).
You can still deduct the £1 administrative cost if it takes your employee’s income below their protected earnings rate - but not if it takes their income below the National Minimum Wage.
If you can deduct the full amount from your employee’s protected earnings
Deduct the full amount from your employee’s earnings if it does not affect their protected earnings. Send it to the Child Maintenance Service as soon as you make the deduction.
Example
The amount your employee owes in child maintenance is £150 a month.
Your employee’s net earnings are £1,200 a month.
Their protected earnings are £720 a month.
Net earnings of £1,200 minus the protected earnings of £720 = £480.
In this case, the employee has enough left for you to deduct the full amount of £150.
If you cannot deduct the full amount from your employee’s protected earnings
If you cannot deduct the full amount, you must:
- send any deduction you’ve been able to make to the Child Maintenance Service
- keep a record of the unpaid difference
- send an updated payment schedule to the Child Maintenance Service
You must calculate the unpaid difference, plus the regular amount your employee owes in child maintenance the next time you pay them. You must still leave your employee with their protected earnings.
Example
The amount your employee owes in child maintenance is £250 a month.
Your employee’s net earnings are £500 a month.
Their protected earnings are £300 a month.
Net earnings of £500 minus the protected earnings of £300 = £200.
In this case, the employee does not have enough left for you to deduct the full amount of £250.
You must send £200 to the Child Maintenance Service.
The unpaid difference of £50 is carried forward to the next time you pay your employee.
If the unpaid difference is carried forward for several weeks before being repaid, keep a record of the ongoing amount.
If you pay your employee holiday pay in advance
You’ll have to:
- calculate your employee’s total net earnings for the pay period
- multiply the protected earnings and the deduction by the number of weeks in the pay period
- send the deduction to the Child Maintenance Service
Example
The earnings include 1 week’s pay plus 2 weeks’ holiday pay paid in advance.
Your employee has net earnings of £160 a week.
The amount your employee owes in child maintenance is £32 a week and the protected earnings are £96 a week.
Your employee’s net earnings are £160 x 3 = £480 (1 week’s pay + 2 weeks’ holiday pay).
Net earnings of £480 minus the protected earnings of £96 x 3 (£288) = £192
In this case, the employee has enough left for you to deduct the full amount of £96 (£32 x 3).
If you need to deduct other debts from your employees' pay
If your employee has other debt to pay, for example, council tax debt, a court can issue:
- an Attachment of Earnings Order (England, Wales, and Northern Ireland)
- Earnings Arrestment Order (Scotland)
How you prioritise a deduction depends on which country the order was issued in.
In England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, a DEO takes priority unless you have received a priority Attachment of Earnings Order (AEO) for your employee.
In Scotland, a DEO takes priority over other deductions.
Developed withActionsAlso on this siteContent category
Source URL
/content/how-make-deductions
Links
What counts as earnings
How CMS calculates earnings for the purposes of deduction from earnings orders.
A Deduction from Earnings Order (DEO) can only be made from an employee's net earnings.
When calculating a DEO amount, net earnings means earnings after the deduction of:
- Income Tax
- Class 1 National Insurance
- pension or superannuation contributions
You can make a deduction from the following earnings:
- wages, fees, bonus, commission, overtime pay or any payments on top of wages
- private or occupational pensions and compensation payments
- Statutory Sick Pay
- contractual sick pay
- contractual maternity pay
- contractual paternity pay
- contractual adoption pay
- contractual redundancy pay
Statutory pay is money that your employees are entitled to by law. Contractual pay is what you agree with your employees in addition to statutory pay.
What does not count as earnings
You cannot make a deduction from any of the following:
- amounts paid by a public department of any country outside the UK
- any social security pension, allowance, or benefit
- tax credits
- any pension or allowance paid for disability
- guaranteed minimum pension within the Social Security Pensions (Northern Ireland) Order 1975
- Statutory Maternity Pay
- Statutory Paternity Pay
- Statutory Adoption Pay
- Statutory Redundancy Pay
If any of these payments are your employee's only income, do not make a deduction. You should update your payment schedule.
Developed withActionsAlso on this siteContent category
Source URL
/content/what-counts-earnings
Links
Make deduction from earnings order (DEO) payments
How and when employers should make child maintenance payments to the Child Maintenance Service.
Send deduction from earnings order (DEO) payments to the Child Maintenance Service as soon as you make a deduction.
If you cannot make the full deduction you must send an updated payment schedule to the Child Maintenance Service by post or online.
If you have more than one employee with a DEO, send each payment separately.
You can be fined £500 for each missed payment and up to £1,000 for not providing information you’ve been asked for.
Paying the Child Maintenance Service
You can pay by:
- using the online service
- calling the Child Maintenance Service Employer Payment Team
- using the Banks Automated Clearing System (Bacs), Faster Payments or CHAPS transfer
- sending a cheque to the Child Maintenance Service
Pay using the online service
You can manage your Child Maintenance Service payments online. You need to contact the Child Maintenance Service Employer Payment Team to register.
Pay by phone
Phone the Child Maintenance Service Employer Payment Team.
Child Maintenance Service Employer Payment Team
Telephone: 0800 232 1961
Text relay number: 18001 0800 171 2345
Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm
nidirect guidance on contacting 08 and 03 telephone numbersPay by Bacs, Faster Payments or CHAPS
You can make a transfer from your bank account by either Bacs, Faster Payments or CHAPS.
You should use:
- sort code 60 70 80
- account number 10026584
- account name: DWPCMGEMPLOYER
- account code: 0
- transaction code: 99
You'll need to give the employee's National Insurance number as the reference.
Pay by cheque
Send a cheque made payable to ‘Child Maintenance Service’.
Child Maintenance Service 21
Mail Handling Site A
Wolverhampton
WV98 2BUThe cheque must:
- match the amount on the payment schedule
- have your employer reference number on the back - this is a 12-digit number starting with 5
- have your employee’s National Insurance number on the back
If you have more than one employee with a DEO, send a copy of your payment schedule with the cheque.
If you need help with a payment
You can either:
- manage your Child Maintenance Service payments online
- call the Child Maintenance Service Employer Payment Team
Child Maintenance Service Employer Payment Team
Telephone: 0800 232 1961
Text relay number: 18001 0800 171 2345
Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm
nidirect guidance on contacting 08 and 03 telephone numbersTell your employee
You must tell your employee in writing about each deduction when you give them their pay statement. Include whether you have taken £1 administrative costs.
Developed withActionsAlso on this siteContent category
Source URL
/content/make-deduction-earnings-order-deo-payments
Links
Updating your payment schedule
Updating your payment schedule when making child maintenance deductions from employee pay.
You’ll get a monthly payment schedule by post after you’ve been sent a deduction from earnings order (DEO).
It will tell you all your employees who have a DEO and the amount due for each employee.
You must send an updated payment schedule to the Child Maintenance Service if you cannot send the full deduction amount.
You must include how much you’ve deducted and why you’ve not been able to deduct the full amount.
How to send an updated payment schedule
You can update your payment schedule online.
You can also fill in the form you received in the post and send or email it to the Child Maintenance Service Employer Payment Team.
Child Maintenance Service Employer Payment Team
2012scheme.employerservice@dwp.gov.ukChild Maintenance Service Employer Payment Team
Child Maintenance Service 21
Mail Handling Site A
Wolverhampton
WV98 2BUDeveloped withActionsAlso on this siteContent category
Source URL
/content/updating-your-payment-schedule
Links
When you must contact the Child Maintenance Service
In which circumstances an employer must contact the Child Maintenance Service.
You must contact the Child Maintenance Service within 10 days if:
- you’re asked to set up a deduction from earnings order (DEO) for someone who does not work for you
- there’s a problem setting up an employee’s DEO
- your employee leaves your employment
- your business stops trading
How to contact the Child Maintenance Service
You can either:
- use the Child Maintenance Service online
- call the Child Maintenance Service Employer Payment Team
Child Maintenance Service Employer Payment Team
Email: 2012scheme.employerservice@dwp.gov.uk
Telephone: 0800 232 1961
Text relay number: 18001 0800 171 2345
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How to make deductions
How to make deductions
When employers will receive a deduction from earnings order from CMS, what they should do with it and why it might need to be amended.
You must deduct the amount of child maintenance stated on the deduction from earnings order (DEO) from your employee’s net earnings or pension.
By law you must send payments to the Child Maintenance Service. They’ll send the money to the other parent to help cover their child’s living costs.
How it works
- Check what counts as earnings.
- Calculate 60% of your employee’s net earnings (known as their ‘protected earnings’).
- Make the deduction from your employee’s net earnings - as long as it leaves them with their protected earnings.
- Take off an extra £1 towards your administrative costs (if you want to).
- Send the deduction to the Child Maintenance Service.
If you’re unable to deduct the full amount from their protected earnings, you must send an updated payment schedule to the Child Maintenance Service.
How to calculate protected earnings
You must make sure that your deduction leaves your employee with at least 60% of their net earnings (known as ‘protected earnings’).
You can still deduct the £1 administrative cost if it takes your employee’s income below their protected earnings rate - but not if it takes their income below the National Minimum Wage.
If you can deduct the full amount from your employee’s protected earnings
Deduct the full amount from your employee’s earnings if it does not affect their protected earnings. Send it to the Child Maintenance Service as soon as you make the deduction.
Example
The amount your employee owes in child maintenance is £150 a month.
Your employee’s net earnings are £1,200 a month.
Their protected earnings are £720 a month.
Net earnings of £1,200 minus the protected earnings of £720 = £480.
In this case, the employee has enough left for you to deduct the full amount of £150.
If you cannot deduct the full amount from your employee’s protected earnings
If you cannot deduct the full amount, you must:
- send any deduction you’ve been able to make to the Child Maintenance Service
- keep a record of the unpaid difference
- send an updated payment schedule to the Child Maintenance Service
You must calculate the unpaid difference, plus the regular amount your employee owes in child maintenance the next time you pay them. You must still leave your employee with their protected earnings.
Example
The amount your employee owes in child maintenance is £250 a month.
Your employee’s net earnings are £500 a month.
Their protected earnings are £300 a month.
Net earnings of £500 minus the protected earnings of £300 = £200.
In this case, the employee does not have enough left for you to deduct the full amount of £250.
You must send £200 to the Child Maintenance Service.
The unpaid difference of £50 is carried forward to the next time you pay your employee.
If the unpaid difference is carried forward for several weeks before being repaid, keep a record of the ongoing amount.
If you pay your employee holiday pay in advance
You’ll have to:
- calculate your employee’s total net earnings for the pay period
- multiply the protected earnings and the deduction by the number of weeks in the pay period
- send the deduction to the Child Maintenance Service
Example
The earnings include 1 week’s pay plus 2 weeks’ holiday pay paid in advance.
Your employee has net earnings of £160 a week.
The amount your employee owes in child maintenance is £32 a week and the protected earnings are £96 a week.
Your employee’s net earnings are £160 x 3 = £480 (1 week’s pay + 2 weeks’ holiday pay).
Net earnings of £480 minus the protected earnings of £96 x 3 (£288) = £192
In this case, the employee has enough left for you to deduct the full amount of £96 (£32 x 3).
If you need to deduct other debts from your employees' pay
If your employee has other debt to pay, for example, council tax debt, a court can issue:
- an Attachment of Earnings Order (England, Wales, and Northern Ireland)
- Earnings Arrestment Order (Scotland)
How you prioritise a deduction depends on which country the order was issued in.
In England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, a DEO takes priority unless you have received a priority Attachment of Earnings Order (AEO) for your employee.
In Scotland, a DEO takes priority over other deductions.
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What counts as earnings
How CMS calculates earnings for the purposes of deduction from earnings orders.
A Deduction from Earnings Order (DEO) can only be made from an employee's net earnings.
When calculating a DEO amount, net earnings means earnings after the deduction of:
- Income Tax
- Class 1 National Insurance
- pension or superannuation contributions
You can make a deduction from the following earnings:
- wages, fees, bonus, commission, overtime pay or any payments on top of wages
- private or occupational pensions and compensation payments
- Statutory Sick Pay
- contractual sick pay
- contractual maternity pay
- contractual paternity pay
- contractual adoption pay
- contractual redundancy pay
Statutory pay is money that your employees are entitled to by law. Contractual pay is what you agree with your employees in addition to statutory pay.
What does not count as earnings
You cannot make a deduction from any of the following:
- amounts paid by a public department of any country outside the UK
- any social security pension, allowance, or benefit
- tax credits
- any pension or allowance paid for disability
- guaranteed minimum pension within the Social Security Pensions (Northern Ireland) Order 1975
- Statutory Maternity Pay
- Statutory Paternity Pay
- Statutory Adoption Pay
- Statutory Redundancy Pay
If any of these payments are your employee's only income, do not make a deduction. You should update your payment schedule.
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Make deduction from earnings order (DEO) payments
How and when employers should make child maintenance payments to the Child Maintenance Service.
Send deduction from earnings order (DEO) payments to the Child Maintenance Service as soon as you make a deduction.
If you cannot make the full deduction you must send an updated payment schedule to the Child Maintenance Service by post or online.
If you have more than one employee with a DEO, send each payment separately.
You can be fined £500 for each missed payment and up to £1,000 for not providing information you’ve been asked for.
Paying the Child Maintenance Service
You can pay by:
- using the online service
- calling the Child Maintenance Service Employer Payment Team
- using the Banks Automated Clearing System (Bacs), Faster Payments or CHAPS transfer
- sending a cheque to the Child Maintenance Service
Pay using the online service
You can manage your Child Maintenance Service payments online. You need to contact the Child Maintenance Service Employer Payment Team to register.
Pay by phone
Phone the Child Maintenance Service Employer Payment Team.
Child Maintenance Service Employer Payment Team
Telephone: 0800 232 1961
Text relay number: 18001 0800 171 2345
Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm
nidirect guidance on contacting 08 and 03 telephone numbersPay by Bacs, Faster Payments or CHAPS
You can make a transfer from your bank account by either Bacs, Faster Payments or CHAPS.
You should use:
- sort code 60 70 80
- account number 10026584
- account name: DWPCMGEMPLOYER
- account code: 0
- transaction code: 99
You'll need to give the employee's National Insurance number as the reference.
Pay by cheque
Send a cheque made payable to ‘Child Maintenance Service’.
Child Maintenance Service 21
Mail Handling Site A
Wolverhampton
WV98 2BUThe cheque must:
- match the amount on the payment schedule
- have your employer reference number on the back - this is a 12-digit number starting with 5
- have your employee’s National Insurance number on the back
If you have more than one employee with a DEO, send a copy of your payment schedule with the cheque.
If you need help with a payment
You can either:
- manage your Child Maintenance Service payments online
- call the Child Maintenance Service Employer Payment Team
Child Maintenance Service Employer Payment Team
Telephone: 0800 232 1961
Text relay number: 18001 0800 171 2345
Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm
nidirect guidance on contacting 08 and 03 telephone numbersTell your employee
You must tell your employee in writing about each deduction when you give them their pay statement. Include whether you have taken £1 administrative costs.
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Updating your payment schedule
Updating your payment schedule when making child maintenance deductions from employee pay.
You’ll get a monthly payment schedule by post after you’ve been sent a deduction from earnings order (DEO).
It will tell you all your employees who have a DEO and the amount due for each employee.
You must send an updated payment schedule to the Child Maintenance Service if you cannot send the full deduction amount.
You must include how much you’ve deducted and why you’ve not been able to deduct the full amount.
How to send an updated payment schedule
You can update your payment schedule online.
You can also fill in the form you received in the post and send or email it to the Child Maintenance Service Employer Payment Team.
Child Maintenance Service Employer Payment Team
2012scheme.employerservice@dwp.gov.ukChild Maintenance Service Employer Payment Team
Child Maintenance Service 21
Mail Handling Site A
Wolverhampton
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When you must contact the Child Maintenance Service
In which circumstances an employer must contact the Child Maintenance Service.
You must contact the Child Maintenance Service within 10 days if:
- you’re asked to set up a deduction from earnings order (DEO) for someone who does not work for you
- there’s a problem setting up an employee’s DEO
- your employee leaves your employment
- your business stops trading
How to contact the Child Maintenance Service
You can either:
- use the Child Maintenance Service online
- call the Child Maintenance Service Employer Payment Team
Child Maintenance Service Employer Payment Team
Email: 2012scheme.employerservice@dwp.gov.uk
Telephone: 0800 232 1961
Text relay number: 18001 0800 171 2345
Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm
nidirect guidance on contacting 08 and 03 telephone numbersDeveloped withAlso on this siteContent category
Source URL
/content/when-you-must-contact-child-maintenance-service
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