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Original poster

Feel sick - just found out I have been overpaid

15 replies

steben · 20/06/2011 14:04

Does anyone have any exp of this and can help me or share what they did if it happened to them?

Found out this morning that I have been paid full time when I should only have been paid for 4 days a week since I went back to work in November. We get electronic payslips and to be honest I never look and just assumed it was right as mney goes into joint account and I rarely look at our statements and DH does it all. I know I have to pay it back but my ointract here ends in 3 months - will they want it all back by then? Just worked it out and will probably be about £4k - feel sick - have no idea what DH will say as he will probably blame me. I feel so stupid.

OP posts:
Grevling · 20/06/2011 15:10

Just keep quiet and hope they don't notice. If they ask for it back pay up then.

Clarence15 · 20/06/2011 15:16

How did you find out, did your employer tell you or have you just noticed yourself?

Either way it's an admin error on your employers behalf and I doubt they'll ask you to pay it back (or have they already told you you will?)

If it was us (I work in payroll) we'd prob write it off as an expensive error and just put you on the correct salary going forward.

If they've not actually told you, it's up to you whether you tell them or not. There's a good chance they won't notice if you've been paid that amount since Nov though, and if you're leaving in 6mths anyway........Wink

AnnaBegins · 20/06/2011 15:21

This happened to my mum and she was told she had to pay it all back as the onus was on her to have noticed, not her employer. In her case it had happened for a whole year so they gave her a year to pay it back out of wages, effectively a year-long pay cut! So I would tell your employer incase they demand it back in a lump sum in a few months time.

BerylOfLaughs · 20/06/2011 15:23

If they haven't noticed, start saving up now in case they ask you to pay it back.
If they have noticed and want you to pay it back ask for a payment plan over a year.

bringinghomethebacon · 20/06/2011 15:24

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wimpybar · 20/06/2011 15:26

this also happened to me and the took it back! was only one month overpayment though. i would come clean as it would worry me!

cat64 · 20/06/2011 15:26

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cat64 · 20/06/2011 15:28

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NightLark · 20/06/2011 15:39

I was overpaid throughout my last ML (couldn't have worked it out myself as it was undifferentiated lump-sums each month, but the mat pay calculations had been wrongly based on a one-off overpayment for overtime before I started ML)

I had to pay it all back - was a couple of thousand pounds.

I got a payment plan from HR and paid back over 10 months.

I could have taken longer, but there were no apologies, it was seen as my fault for not noticing Angry

GwendolineMaryLacey · 20/06/2011 15:41

I would start saving as it's highly likely they'll ask for it back.

I came back from a year's mat leave to find that they had miscalculated the repayments from my season ticket loan 5 years before. There was £400 outstanding. I had just gone back part time and was made to pay back £50 a month until it was cleared. I was absolutely furious but there was apparently nothing I could do even though it was entirely their fault.

TheGoddessBlossom · 20/06/2011 15:48

I was overpaid. Had to pay it all back, in monthly installments.

Do believe in karma though as some years later it was observed that I had been underpaid for a year - that was nice! Grin

zingzillachinchilla · 20/06/2011 15:52

HAve to say I agree with Cat on this - however, they have to offer you the option of a payment plan. It would be unreasonable for them not to.

Original poster
steben · 21/06/2011 08:40

Oh I think it is my fault def - however i think my return to work has been mishandled and whilst I am fully prepared to pay it back I am def going to be appeal. Was going through it with line manager and basically my previous line manager didnt do any of the things she should have done properly. From the looks of it i can decide a payment plan so at least it wont be a lump sum which is something. Thanks for the comments.

OP posts:
LadyLapsang · 21/06/2011 22:52

I don't see how its your employers fault that you cut your work by 20% and then got paid the same and you didn't notice. Are they still overpaying you now? If you want to be honest then I would own up and I'm sure they will come to some agreement about repaying the overpayment. If you chose to be dishonest and not say anything then I think you should be saving the overpayment as if they notice they can stop your pay straight away. Also, what happens if they mention it in a reference - lack of attention to detail and / or dishonesty.

Tuppenyrice · 22/06/2011 12:07

I was overpaid once and yes they asked for it back. I hadn't even noticed! So I paid them in installments.
I am shit with money Sad

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