I had a job at a uni in the finance dept. which started off as me coming in for 20 hours a week as an intern/dogsbody - then when a lady left on the purchase eldger because I was finding it all so easy they let her train me up for a couple of days and gave me her job. 5 months later my contract was due to end, I had a weeks holiday, then 10 days then my contract was to be renewed.
Being my first 'proper' job I'd stupidly not insisted on written confirmation, however everyone was so confident I'd be staying I'd even paid my £5 for the Christmas meal (2 months later!).
I come back off holiday and get "Oh, er we didn't clear it with HR and as it's the recession (it was 2010) we're not renewing any contracts that expire. You might be able to reapply but we're changing it to a position for someone with payroll experience blah blah".
So I had 10 days to find a job, which didn't happen. (In fact 2 years of unemployment and depression/anxiety followed, hurrah).
THEN they paid me the next months pay - and I went to the job centre next day to sign on and said the last time I was paid was yesterday and so my job seekers was delayed.
By the time I found out it wasn't mine (had stupidly assumed they wouldn't have made a mistake like that and it was either my months 'notice' or I'd been paid in arrears as my payment method changed after the first month) some was gone and I needed the rest for rent etc. until my jobseekers kicked in for rent.
2 years later they start chasing it up, using debt collectors etc. There's nothing in my contract saying it would become civil debt, and so the use of debt collectors is I believe, illegal. (Please correct me if I'm wrong, I got it from the CAB website I think).
I agreed to pay £5/£10 a month from my jobseekers allowance (I'm pretty sure even banks aren't supposed to use that for interest!) but after 7 months decided it was too much as unlike a lot of people we were getting only £400 between 2 of us and no housing benefit etc. - basically my family was having to pay our rent, it was a horrible time!
2 years later and a debt collection turns up at my parents address AGAIN.
I could just ignore it, but if they ring my Mum or turn up she won't deal well and I'll feel so very guilty.
AIBU to think that, in these partcular circumstances, they were dicks and should just let it go? :/ Just to say I've only just been able to find another permanent job (instead of temp/seasonal) after all this time, and have overdrafts etc. that need paying off, and we're meant to be saving anyways... ARGH!