Salary Overpayment

[Rockhopper81]

I have been off work since January - depression and anxiety - and will be leaving my post at the end of August (the notice period). I am signed off until then.

I knew I was due to go into half pay around May time, but wasn't aware of the exact date. When I was paid my full salary at the end of June, I raised it with my line manager, who contacted HR to ask them about it.

HR say I was sent a letter at the beginning of April saying I would be in half pay from the end of April - I never received it. As soon as I realised there was definitely an error with the salary (June), I raised it.

HR are now saying they won't pay me in July and will take the rest of the deficit from August's pay too (my final month to be paid). They have said they need to sort it before I leave at the end of August.

I'm not querying them recouping the money, but can they do it this way, essentially in a lump sum?

Luckily (I guess?) I have moved back in with my parents, so don't have rent/utilities to pay as such - I would be screwed if I had the outgoings I had at my flat. I'm glad I ended my tenancy at the end of June and not the end of July as I originally planned, anyway.

HR have just apologised that I haven't been able to budget for it, but the amount is the same. I kinda think that's not the point.

Can they do this as bluntly as this? They hasn't noticed there was an error until I pointed it out! It will also leave me with no income until the end of August.

Well sadly how else can they get the money back? If you weren't leaving they cpuld get it back slower but otherwise they will ne unlikely to get it without a lot of stress

In an ideal world you would have put it to one side and then used it next month

As with any debt you have to be able to live so if it's a lot of money you can set up a payment plan. Go and speak to CAB they can help. I'm sorry you're in this situation.

Yes, they can do it. This often seems to be an issue when people move to half pay and the payroll team seem to be behind and pay full pay instead. Something similar happened to me.

Effectively you have been paid upfront rather than in half pay "installments". Are you saying that you've spent it even though you knew you were only due half pay?

When I got over paid for a couple of months, my employer initially said that they would recoup it all the following month. I complained and asked for them to take it in installments over a number of months and they agreed. It's worth going back to them to ask them to be more sympathetic

No, I haven't spent it even thought I knew I was only due half pay - I knew I was due to go into half pay around May, but didn't know the exact date as I'd never received the letter from payroll.

If I hadn't queried my salary at the end of June (when I knew it was definitely wrong), they wouldn't have realised, as my absence date had somehow been changed at HR (hence why my salary was still full pay - they'd made an error with the dates and I would have still been in full pay when I left in August with their incorrect amendments).

I'm not arguing the need to pay it back, and I know that me leaving makes it trickier, I guess I'm just cross that, because they made an error, I'm not going to receive any income until the end of August. As I say, they didn't know I didn't still have rent/utilities to pay (and I'm thankful I ended the tenancy a month earlier than I ordinarily intended).

I guess as well I just feel like I don't need this added stress, which isn't helping my anxiety. Maybe I could see if, instead of paying the reduced payment in August (to repay the deficit), they could split that payment over July and August, so at least something would be being paid in July?

I have emailed and explained (very politely!), but HR have just apologised and said they're sorry I haven't budgeted for it, but they have to have recouped it by the end of August.

I'm not sure I understand. Surely if they've mistakenly paid you full pay and you haven't spent the extra, why do you want them to pay you a token amount in July? You effectively already have the July money in your bank account now (i.e. the overpayment for June)....or am I misunderstanding something here?

No, I do 'get' it, I suppose I'm just a bit cross that this is their error, and I knew nothing about it until I brought up the incorrect payment. Had I not mentioned it, they wouldn't have realised until I finished and I was made a leaver I suspect.

I guess it's just easier (even if only psychologically) to plan if you know there is £xx amount going in at the end of the month. Knowing the money in the bank is until the end of August seems a long way off.

If you knew it was wrong and haven't spent it then it's still sitting there in your bank account - you've just had July's money in advance.

Ugh that does sound really annoying and I really feel for you OP. YANBU but neither are they. Chuck it in the fuck it bucket and move on.

redexpat - that's what I've decided to do. I've sent another email saying I'm annoyed, but that ultimately it won't change the situation. Just drawing a line under it is the best option moving forwards. Thanks for all the replies.