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AIBU?

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Original poster

Old job overpaid me by £1,000 aibu not to pay it back?

85 replies

redbedgg · 29/04/2021 19:39

I was in the support group up until the 19th of march on ESA due to mental health (I won't get into details but haven't been well)
I started job the 22nd March.
I wanted a normal life and applied for a job and got it in a large call centre.
I realised it wasn't for me and my mental health wasn't right so after a day I left.
I knew I wasn't well enough.
I couldn't go back on to ESA so had to make a universal credit claim.

I worked 1 day.
At the end of the month I checked my bank and had been paid £1,000 for a full month.
I rang HR straight away and told them what had happened and asked them how I pay it back.
Now any income that is reported to HMRC reduces your UC.
I asked them to do a correction and change my leaving date (as they had put the wrong date )
They said they would.
A month later nothing.
I rang them and they said we have input new details.
They have now input £19 but added that with the date "30th April"and put down my leaving date as the 30th April but haven't corrected my income.

UC have told me my payment this month is £0.00 because of the income showed on HMRC.
I've asked my old employer if I bank transfer this £1,000 will you change my income details or I don't receive a payment.
They've said they can't do it and they aren't telling me what the £19 they've listed is in April.
They've messed everything up.

Aibu to say until you fix your error I'm not paying this £1,000 back.
I have no money for food or rent or bills.
I haven't touched the £1,000
All I want is for them to input the correct details.
Aibu here ?

OP posts:
IceCreamAndCandyfloss · 29/04/2021 19:46

Of course you need to pay the money back. You left after one day but are now blaming them as it’s gone wrong. Seems unfair.

Puntastic · 29/04/2021 19:48

I see the problem, OP. Can you contact someone at UC? What do they say?

GreyhoundG1rl · 29/04/2021 19:49

Of course you have to pay it back. You walked out after one day??

MargeSimpson00 · 29/04/2021 19:51

@IceCreamAndCandyfloss

Of course you need to pay the money back. You left after one day but are now blaming them as it’s gone wrong. Seems unfair.
Did you read the post? OP has contacted the employer repeatedly to try and amend this. Honestly I would use the money for food and rent, not sure what choice you have. If/when they want it paying back arrange a monthly payment plan. Hope you're feeling better soon.
Rillington · 29/04/2021 19:51

Of course you can't keep the money. You worked for one day!

Original poster
redbedgg · 29/04/2021 19:51

The reason I'm saying that is because their error has caused me to loose £1,000 universal credit.
I haven't caused that.
I've asked them for 1 month to fix the wrong info they've submitted to HMRC but they won't.

How do I live with £0,00 due to no fault of my own.

OP posts:
Puntastic · 29/04/2021 19:51

@GreyhoundG1rl

Of course you have to pay it back. You walked out after one day??
Yes, but because they've stuffed up she now has no money at all this month, as universal credit have interpreted it as wages and decided she doesn't need any additional money from them this month.

So if she doesn't use the money, she doesn't eat. Or pay rent. Or live, basically.

Original poster
redbedgg · 29/04/2021 19:52

I want to pay them back (hence me contacting them) but they aren't willing to correct their mistake.
Which I don't understand why

OP posts:
Susannahmoody · 29/04/2021 19:52

Keep schtum

Original poster
redbedgg · 29/04/2021 19:52

I don't get paid now till the end of may.

OP posts:
shouldistop · 29/04/2021 19:54

Have you contacted UC?

Original poster
redbedgg · 29/04/2021 19:54

@Puntastic universal credit and citizens advice have told me to contact employer and tell them to amend the incorrect figures.
Then I can open a rti diapute and get the payment paid to me.
They refusing to amend it.
They have added £19 listed 30th April
So that will now be deduced from my may UC payment

OP posts:
Original poster
redbedgg · 29/04/2021 19:56

@shouldistop yes UC have said as soon as my employer does a correction I can get my payment.
I need to raise a RTI dispute
But if my old employer doesn't amend details I get nothing.

OP posts:
TakeYourFinalPosition · 29/04/2021 19:56

Legally they'll be able to pursue the money back for six years.

Are you left with nothing right now? If so, I'd take the smallest amount of money possible to get by - probably under £100 if I could.

Then I'd keep contacting payroll/HR. They will have to update the information that they gave to HMRC, because it'd be an offence to knowingly submit incorrect information. Are they refusing to do it outright, or refusing to do it now? Some companies are arseholes at changing stuff before the next payroll runs.

Or are they saying that they've now updated the details to say that you were paid £19, not £1000, but that's not enough for HMRC?

Puntastic · 29/04/2021 19:57

That's infuriating, OP, I am sorry. Even if they do amend it now, I imagine it'll take a while for the dispute to be settled so you'll have no money in the interim- what a mess! Can you write to your MP and explain the situation? Sometimes they're good at pushing stuff through.

BrilliantBetty · 29/04/2021 19:57

No. You're not in a position to pay it back - it is THEIR ERROR- and unless you have their amends approved in advance by HMRC and advised you will receive the UC don't pay it back. You're not in a position to pay it back if you have £0 to live off because they made a mistake.
UC may take ages to rectify this as well and you'll be without.

How much UC would you have received without this mix up? Keep that amount for the time being - transfer them any surplus but no more.

Original poster
redbedgg · 29/04/2021 19:58

@TakeYourFinalPosition no they have left the £1,000 payment on my tax record for March but rather than changing that they have added £19 for April too and said I left the company 30th April.

I worked 10 hours and it's £10.80 a hour
So even 1 day wouldn't be £19
I don't know what they playing at

OP posts:
Original poster
redbedgg · 29/04/2021 19:59

@BrilliantBetty my UC payment should have been around £800

OP posts:
Original poster
redbedgg · 29/04/2021 20:00

They have ran payroll this month and stated
30th April £19 income £3 tax paid

OP posts:
GreyhoundG1rl · 29/04/2021 20:01

@redbedgg

They have ran payroll this month and stated 30th April £19 income £3 tax paid
So they have reversed the £1000 payment? Confused
Original poster
redbedgg · 29/04/2021 20:04

@GreyhoundG1rl no they have left the £1,000 and stated I've earned an extra £19 on top of that.
£1,000 is March income
£19 April

OP posts:
FlyingBurrito · 29/04/2021 20:05

So they have reversed the £1000 payment?

How are you working that out? If if the actual pay should have been around £100 they need to be showing minus £900 in the next Payroll don't they?

HighlandCowbag · 29/04/2021 20:06

I'd just spend it as though it was UC op. It is absolutely not your fault. My friends employer keeps doing the same with her with her ssp, they give her 41 one week then 160 which is then taxed the week after.

Employers should be employer payroll staff that understand the impact an incorrect entry has and know how to amend that information when they fuck up.

sunlight81 · 29/04/2021 20:11

Use £800 of the money (which would be ur UC payment) for food and to live.

When the company correct their mistake and ask for their money back give the £200 straight away and offer the £800 once ur UC correction payment is made 👍🏻

GreyhoundG1rl · 29/04/2021 20:13

[quote redbedgg]@GreyhoundG1rl no they have left the £1,000 and stated I've earned an extra £19 on top of that.
£1,000 is March income
£19 April [/quote]
Oh, I see.

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