Work not paying wages

[tinatsarina]

My ex employers declared my holiday pay with out me recieving it, my universal credits were affected and I now have no money. They said they would release the wages after I paid them an outstanding bill with them which I said I now couldn't do as I have no money. They agreed to release the wages so I could then pay the bill on Saturday. It's now Monday and I still have no money and they haven't replied to my text. What can I do now?

Call instead of text

Phone HMRC and ask them?

Posted too soon. Your ex employers are saying you owe them money?

If you did and if it was lawful for them to withhold your pay, why wouldn't they use that pay to settle the bill?

As well as HMRC you should phone acas.
You need to find out

What is higher, the holiday pay they owe you, or the bill you owe them? And what is the bill for?

@IncompleteSenten

Posted too soon. Your ex employers are saying you owe them money?

If you did and if it was lawful for them to withhold your pay, why wouldn't they use that pay to settle the bill?

As well as HMRC you should phone acas.
You need to find out

There are very few circumstances where it is legal to withold holiday pay (or any pay) even when an employee leaves or legitimately owes the employer money.

The employee has to have agreed to it, it needs to be in their employment contract and it has to be something like a previous accidental overpayment

It was for my kids after-school bill. The wages are higher, I said to take the bill out of the wages and just transfer me the remaining but they apparently can't do that. Universal credit got back to me saying they may need to refer it to HMRC so I'm stopping contact as they know the wages never arrived. This doesn't help me in the short term

Ask UC about a budgeting advance.
www.gov.uk/guidance/universal-credit-advances#get-a-budgeting-advance

It talks about your first payment but if you scroll down it says there are times you can get help during your claim.

You have nothing to lose by asking

@tinatsarina

It was for my kids after-school bill. The wages are higher, I said to take the bill out of the wages and just transfer me the remaining but they apparently can't do that. Universal credit got back to me saying they may need to refer it to HMRC so I'm stopping contact as they know the wages never arrived. This doesn't help me in the short term

That's not a "can't", that's a "won't".

Any decent accounts/payroll person could do it in a jiffy.