To think that I shouldn't suffer for payrolls incompetence?

[Mollymom]

Am on mat leave and went from Departmental mat pay to SMP only in March. In April I have more than I was expecting paid to me-queried this with payroll (payslip was NOT clear at all) and was told 3 times by 3 different people that I hadn't been overpaid-I asked them specifically as payroll haven't got the best reputation where I work.

Now find out that I was right and I have been overpaid and payroll will take the whole amount out of my next pay packet and continue to do so until the amount is repaid.

I work in the public sector so am fully ok with repaying (tax payers money etc)but think that as I was told that no overpayment had happened so spent the money that I should only have to repay at a rate I can afford.

I am not being unreasonable am I? Am getting the union involved whatver-that'll have them scared

They have a duty not to put you under hardship for their error. So, yes, you are right in thinking that you should be able to negotiate a repayment that is not arduous.

However, I would think that given that you knew what your general salary is, and knew that you were only due SMP, it would have been wise to keep the surplus to one side, because it was obvious to you that it was an overpayment.

It was more than I was expecting but I did query the amount with payroll and they told me the extra was money owed to me for the previous month (where they had messed up by not paying me enough)