What do I do??? Am I going to have no money?

[namechanged707]

Okay...
I work part time and would expect between £500-£600 on a normal month for my job (that was the expectation).
I claim childcare for my baby in a baby wing and get help with housing costs as my DP is in education full time until summer.
December was my first month working there and I was paid close to £1,200! I assumed Christmas bonus - I did email the manager to enquire and double check but heard nothing.
I have to give my payslip in on Monday to be able to reclaim for temporary help with childcare and rent. The payslip says nothing about a Christmas bonus, just a basic wage of £1,280 and then tax/NI deductions.
Are they going to think I'm lying and tell them that that shouldn't be my normal wage? If I don't get my temporary help from them then I wouldn't be able to pay rent or nursery fees.
If it was a mistake on works part, are they going to make me pay it back after a month???

I'm so stressed that I won't be able to pay rent or childcare!

Well, the money has been spent now so there's no really any way to fix it. If it is a payroll error and an overpayment, they'll want to claw that back so you'll need to ask them to do this gradually over the next few months since you can't hand the extra back. It's never a good idea to spend money when you don't know why you've got it, incase you need to give it back.

There should be a phone number available for your payroll, so can you give them a call?

@Isleepinahedgefund yeah, I get that - I'm just completely panicked, can't find a contact number for payroll, can't get in touch with line manager until she's off lunch and even then every time I call she's usually busy, and have 2 days to put my reclaim in!

So, you knew you were paid too much and you spent it and now you are worried that you will have no money? The sensible thing would have been to find out why you had the money before you spent it, but it is too late for that now.

You have been advised to contact payroll, they should be able to tell you what happened.

You need to contact admin at work op. Not just an email, find the number and call them.
They will be able to tell you exactly what the payment was.
Are you on universal credit? Lots of people had two months wages reported in December (as many employers pay early for Christmas), this has meant they won't get any help the following month as it looks like they have earned way more than normal.
Just call them and find out.

If you have been overpaid you can ask to pay it back in installments. If it happens again raise the query with payroll asap and set aside the money. There is no point vin worrying, it will get sorted.

It was probably careless to spend it looking back now! A few colleagues had mentioned something about a Christmas bonus and I hadn't thought anything of it. We were so short of money at Christmas that I guess I just felt so relieved to have some to spend rather than feeling so awful with such a tight budget!!!!! I was nowhere near smart enough and just got carried away!!!! I'm actually sitting here in tears as someone who doesn't cry at this situation!!!! Feel so stupid for it!

Contact your childcare help provider (whoever has asked for the payslip) and explain that you're submitting a payslip, but you think there's an error on it as it's higher than it should be. Tell them you've contacted payroll on work and are waiting for them to get in touch with you.

No matter the response from your manager or he you won't be getting a new payslip for December as that money has been paid. You claim will have to be made on that basis.

Speak to childcare about a late payment this maybe possible.

The extra paid will be taken from future pay.

Spending it was completely daft. You absolutely should have waited for proper confirmation.

Doesn't your wage slip detail what your FTE would be? I'm part time so get a break down of my FTE and then the actual hours I work and my actual wage. Does it literally just say full wage 1200 or whatever? You need to ring payroll. Does anyone else you work with have a number for them or is it not on your wage slip?

It could be paid 4 weekly and there's an extra week in the month PLUS an extra week you worked included perhaps?

If it was a bonus though, you probably wouldn't be able to claim back childcare costs with that amount, so have you at least kept enough money back to afford your childcare? Or do you actually need that money back?

Do you work about 16 hours a week, and does it look about the amount for a full time pay. If you earn just over £500 a month , you probably won’t be paying tax and NI which you would have paid on the amount you got, you will get the tax back but I’m not sure about the NI

I would expect payroll to send you something official to explain the situation / mistake so that it won't effect your claims for childcare and housing costs.

Having spent money that you may have to pay back is of course an issue - but you may well be able to arrange a slower payback rate than it all coming out of the next month.

The only way to sort this is to get hold of the payroll person. Keep trying - and try not to panic if you can!

The payslip's not wrong though as that's what's actually been paid so will need to be declared if you're claiming for help as presumably you won't be entitled to help for that month as you were paid £1200. So presumably you're claiming to help as of this month when you'll be paid what you expected to be paid. The issue will be if you are paid less due to claw back going forward of course.

Contacted payroll, it was a mistake!!!! They need me to pay it back and not sure what they can do to help with my childcare/rent situation!

We've all done it, OP. What's done is done so you need to work out what to do now. First thing is to speak to manager, payroll/HR and see where you go from there.

Are you on UC?

Also you can ask them to repay in instalments but they don't have to allow it. I was under the impression that they did until recently. I'd been overpaid £700 over the course of 18 months (I genuinely didn't realise) and my work place wouldn't allow instalments.

Was it a payroll error then?

They can’t help with your childcare/ rent situation...

If you have had £1200 be it bonus or over payment, you have had the money and have to claim on that basis.
Therefore if you are entitled to anything it will definitely be less than you are expecting because you had more money of your own.

If you have to pay it back then you will be entitled to more help on subsequent months as the money you physically have is lower.

They need me to pay it back and not sure what they can do to help with my childcare/rent situation! So now you need to work out how much you can afford to pay back per month and make them an offer. Get someone to help you write a letter, remind them you received and spent the money "in good faith".

Does your partner work?

The only thing I can suggest is maybe see if your payroll department can write a letter explaining that the payslip does accurately reflect what you were paid that month however, that it was a mistake and you owe them the money back. Then highlight/confirm your actually salary/wage?

Considering they made the mistake they ought to do that at least

It's frustrating though as even if you'd saved the £600 you wouldn't be able to reclaim as the payslip would show £1200. I think you need to agree with your employer you'll repay the £600 and ask them to issue a payslip for December with a correct pay on so you can claim.

Repayment can be done in installments, ask payroll for a letter detailing what you should have been paid and use this in your claim. This will have happened before.