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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU? Money money money. I'm going to have to give it back, aren't I?

102 replies

rizlett · 17/06/2017 08:20

Started new job 1st August 2016. It was horrendous so gave 4 weeks notice at end of February and left at the end of March 2017. I've just received a letter saying the finance team were not notified of my leaving at the appropriate time and they are requesting I repay a months salary received at the end of April. At the time I assumed it was my month in arrears. It's a big (dis)organisation and I think my line manager's manager probably forgot to tell the finance dept I had left. I haven't got another job so no income at the moment. Can I offer to pay it back in teeny tiny installments or AIBU?

OP posts:
wheresthel1ght · 17/06/2017 08:24

You can only ask but you should have notified them at the time, month in arrears is a real cop out.

Imamouseduh · 17/06/2017 08:26

Yes you should have contacted them immediately when you received the money. You will have to repay it.

OnionKnight · 17/06/2017 08:27

How could it have been your month in arrears?

fandabbydozier · 17/06/2017 08:28

Yes you should have repaid it as soon as you received it as you knew it wasn't owed to you. It should be repaid in one payment.

Eminado · 17/06/2017 08:29

At the time I assumed it was my month in arrears

Hmm
LIZS · 17/06/2017 08:33

Yes you owe it back and I don't think they have to agree to installments. You spent money that wasn't yours Hmm

LIZS · 17/06/2017 08:34

The payslip would have stated the pay period.

topcat2014 · 17/06/2017 08:35

I am pretty sure no-one pays a month in arrears. Count how many salary payments you got between August and March if you are unsure.

You should have notified the employer as soon as the extra payment arrived.

Yes, you will need to pay it back in one go.

If I was the employer, I would be chasing hard, with the possibility of small claims action if nothing happened.

Sorry that is probably not what you wanted to hear,.

Lokisglowstickofdestiny · 17/06/2017 08:40

You can ask if they will take it in instalments but prepared for them to take legal action against you if they don't agree.

icloud75com · 17/06/2017 08:42

Can't get blood from a stone can they ? You're not working so they will have to have it in installments and if they contact debt collectors, the debt collectors will tell them the same.

scaryclown · 17/06/2017 08:42

I'm paying back overpaid salary at £1 a month.

Their own fault. When I told them about it, the finance director got on the phone and threatened me saying bailiffs were going to break in and take my property, so they got reprioritised from 'i' ll just give allback' to the very last on the list. Grin

topcat2014 · 17/06/2017 08:42

I would be looking for fairly chunky installments of £250 plus per month - assuming the employer is feeling generous.

Original poster
rizlett · 17/06/2017 08:44

Thank you for the yes IABU - I did assume it was mine not realising they had made a mistake - I don't check my bank account very often and the payslips never got to my house - I assume they are still at the office.

OP posts:
scaryclown · 17/06/2017 08:44

If your installment are reasonable, and after all priority expenditure and debt, going to court will do nothing. You can refuse costs as you've been reasonable.

MargotLovedTom1 · 17/06/2017 08:44

Ask to pay it back in instalments. If you haven't got it, you haven't got it!

Leaving aside whether the month's arrears thing is plausible, the overpayment was their error.

harderandharder2breathe · 17/06/2017 08:45

Yes you will need to give it back. You should've questioned it at the time.

Hopefully they'll agree to installnents

Squarerouteofsquirrel · 17/06/2017 08:45

It is tricky for an employer to claim an overpayment back in your circumstances. If you have basically spent the money in good faith .i,e you thought it was yours to rightfully spend.
They are prob just seeing if you'll get scared when you see the letter and cough up. You can front it out and see how far they take it, or just offer up what you can afford to pay. would imagine they would prefer the latter, as opposed to taking you to court to reclaim.

CouldntMakeThisShitUp · 17/06/2017 08:46

if you ignore them long enough they'll write it off.

Tattsyrup · 17/06/2017 08:46

Of course you have to pay it back. But you already know that.
There's no reason why you can't request to pay back in instalments, but equally there's no reason they should accept that.

robinia · 17/06/2017 08:47

It's the same as any debt or overpayment. If you can't afford it in one go then reasonable installments will be fine. And chase up the payslips.

RandomMess · 17/06/2017 08:47

I know of a few places that still in this day and age pay 2 months arrears - bloody ridiculous I know.

Dig out your pay slips, double check that you agree that the monies is owed and yes email them stating that you were unaware that it was an overpayment and could you repay £x per week/month as you are currently unwaged.

Hopefully they will agree as it's clear that you can't afford to repay in full and they would not be in a good light.

PaulDacresFeministConscience · 17/06/2017 08:47

This happened to me - despite the fact that I'd gone through all the leaving procedures and had an exit interview with HR! I told them straight away and they did it again. I rang them a second time and then a week later got a lawyer's letter threatening me with all sorts if I didn't pay it all back straight away.

I'd not spent the money but the approach really got up my nose. I wrote back to the solicitor pointing out that it was their fault not mine, that I had proof of notifying them on two occasions that they'd cocked up and that I did not appreciate the tone of their letter. I advised that I'd pay them back at £200 a month and that if they didn't like it, then I was quite happy to go to court and explain exactly what had happened. They decided that they were happy with the offer.

user1471545174 · 17/06/2017 08:48

Apologise for your mistake and ask if they'll accept instalments.

Bosabosa · 17/06/2017 08:50

Having worked in hr for big organisations, most are reasonable and will be with you if you are with them. Explain that you are not working, payslips not received and instalments would be the best way forward for you and am sure they will listen.
The harshness of some posters on here!!!

OnionKnight · 17/06/2017 08:50

if you ignore them long enough they'll write it off.

Not bloody likely.