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Original poster

Work overpaid me by 20k, can’t pay back

156 replies

WhatsMyUsername89 · 13/02/2023 23:00

My work has overpaid me by £20,000.

I recieved a 5k bonus. Then for the next 4 months I got the 5k every month.

I rang my boss after I realised & she said I need to contact HR. Called HR, they said put it in an email.

Emailed HR saying think I’ve been overpaid let me know exact amount and how to pay it back. I CC’ed my manager

I also called another manager and she said the same thing as my manager and told me to email it.

I travel a lot for work, and when I saw our HR member in Singapore I did say “have you looked at my pay issue.” She said she’ll get back to me.

I’ve heard nothing. It’s been 10 months.

what do I do? They haven’t asked for it back. It’s just sat in a separate account, I haven’t spent it.

Wondering if someone is trying to hide it to not admit their mistake? Potentially thinking could it be picked up at end of financial year?

OP posts:
Dotcheck · 13/02/2023 23:02

Contact your payroll/ finance department

Danikm151 · 13/02/2023 23:03

Is there a separate payroll department? Contact them. Send a letter if needs be rather than an email that will get lost in their inbox

they should be looking to claw this back asap. I’ve recently been instructed to collect salary overpayments and some of them were over 7 months old!

It’s good you’ve kept it separate. Technically they have up
to 6 years to recover salary overpayments but don’t let them fob you off.

Original poster
WhatsMyUsername89 · 13/02/2023 23:03

@Dotcheck sorry our HR is our payroll finance dept

OP posts:
underneaththeash · 13/02/2023 23:04

Stick it in some premium bonds and pay it back k when they ask. I’d email once more, that the pre iots pay issue is unresolved, please let me know bank details to repay.

jackstini · 13/02/2023 23:05

Put it in premium bonds and don't touch it

You might win something before it goes back!

You've done everything you can - ball is in their court

AnElegantChaos · 13/02/2023 23:06

I think you need to keep pushing this, tell HR/Payroll you'll go to CEO if they don't sort it as it will bite you on the bum at some stage, even with an email trail.

Wise you kept it in a separate account - hope you've managed to earn some interest on it!

skilpadde · 13/02/2023 23:07

Email HR/Payroll again, reiterating that you have been overpaid, that you brought it to their attention before, and you're still waiting for them to fix it. Ask them who you should forward up with to get it resolved.

Next month, email again, but email more senior people. Don't call... you need that email trail.

You don't want to be in a position of looking like you were happily sitting on money you're not entitled to.

Original poster
WhatsMyUsername89 · 13/02/2023 23:12

Danikm151 · 13/02/2023 23:03

Is there a separate payroll department? Contact them. Send a letter if needs be rather than an email that will get lost in their inbox

they should be looking to claw this back asap. I’ve recently been instructed to collect salary overpayments and some of them were over 7 months old!

It’s good you’ve kept it separate. Technically they have up
to 6 years to recover salary overpayments but don’t let them fob you off.

Yes I heard about the 6yr rule. However a friend said because it’s a bonus it could be seen different.

all my payslips say “bonus” on as well

do you know if this is true

OP posts:
Original poster
WhatsMyUsername89 · 13/02/2023 23:15

Also it’s odd because the 5k bonus stopped being paid every month when I contacted HR/payroll. So someone has gone onto the system to stop the extra 5k bonus.

OP posts:
QueenOfHiraeth · 13/02/2023 23:17

I once worked for a large company that paid their managers a bonus of about £3.5k each.

They then came back and said it was a mistake and we all had to repay it.

Some of the group took legal advice and were told the company were within their rights to reclaim it so I don't think bonuses are exempt

Hrf1503 · 13/02/2023 23:21

Just check that there aren’t any negative tax impacts of this OP. If not, then just keep it in a separate account earning interest until they sort it out. Chase bank have 3% at the moment!

RoseBucket · 13/02/2023 23:22

Have you paid tax/national insurance/pension out of it. I’ve no idea but wondered how that would work?

larchforest · 13/02/2023 23:30

You might also like to check to see if these extra payments have taken you into the next income tax bracket. There will also be the issue of NI contributions, and also pension, if that was calculated as a % of your salary in the months they overpaid you. Did you pay income tax on it? Do you have a student loan? Putting it right could open a whole can of worms, and isn't as straightforward as you simply paying the money back. They have to sort it out pretty soon too, otherwise your annual P60 dated 5th April will show the wrong figures.

RockStarship · 13/02/2023 23:33

I had a similar issue at the end of my maternity leave where I was paid a £1000 lump sum 2 months after my last payment. I had a maternity leave payment schedule and there was nothing on the schedule about this lump sum and all other payments had been paid correctly and on time so it wasn't something that was outstanding due to a previous payment error. So I contacted the payroll dept and spoke to the rudest woman in the world who seemed utterly outraged that I was querying this overpayment, she took my details, gave me a reference number...never heard back from her. Chased it again a few months later...no one had looked into it yet. Chased again a number of months later still...no one has looked into it. The last person I spoke to agreed it shouldn't have been paid to me and said she would investigate it properly and get back to me within 10 days. That was 5 years ago...and that £1000 is still sat in my bank account. So no advice I'm afraid, but I do understand the frustration. In my case, I was over paid by the county council- can you imagine how much money they are frittering away on overpayments that they can't be bothered to chase? It's mind-boggling.

Nanalisa60 · 13/02/2023 23:34

Put it in premium bonds - then you might win some money, if they ask for it back can just cash in the bonds.

Pearsandclocks · 13/02/2023 23:43

Bonkers that no one wants to take responsibility! Completely different but My friend has a disabled child and receives direct payments from the local authority. Last year they paid £246,000 into her bank account by mistake when another council took over the care package. Took nearly a year before anyone took responsibility for the money!

inloveandmarried · 13/02/2023 23:47

You've done your bit, completely above board. Now keep it separate and either invest it in an easy access high interest account or premium bonds. Premium bonds you don't pay tax on the winnings.
You'll hopefully make a bit ticking over whilst they get their act together.

When they finally sort this out make sure they cover all the expenses associated with their error.
? Extra NI ? Extra pension

You can claim back the tax paid eventually if you can show you've had to pay this extra amount back.

Moveoverdarlin · 13/02/2023 23:47

You’ve called and let several people know, you’ve also followed it up with emails. If I were you I would now shut up and never mention it again. Like others have said put it in premium bonds and if and when they ask for it back deal with it then.

Dibbydoos · 13/02/2023 23:57

I left an employer. They paid me 2 x months wages after I'd left. I contacted HR. I think they thought my manager handled me badly when I handed in my notice cos they never asked for it back, that was decades ago now...

You've done what you can, keep the money set aside, but it needs sorting before the tax year ends otherwise it'll be recorded as earnings and you'll pay too much tax and NI.

donquixotedelamancha · 14/02/2023 00:01

You’ve called and let several people know, you’ve also followed it up with emails. If I were you I would now shut up and never mention it again.

This. My employer did this a few years ago and never aranged to reclaim it. Some people are bad at their job and don't want the hassle of fixing their mistakes.

drunkornot · 14/02/2023 00:06

When I read the title of this thread, I thought you can’t pay it back because you spent it😄

Crisis averted as you’ve done all the right things - when the time comes, you can pay your employer back. I would continue as you are but don’t touch the funds. Are you having to pay more in tax now as a result of this error?

I’m assuming the reason they haven’t reclaimed it yet is because they’re seeking legal advice, especially if cross jurisdiction is involved

Annabananna1 · 14/02/2023 00:11

Premium bonds and forget about it until they say something about it! You've raised it and been ignored.

GetOffMyDoorJack · 14/02/2023 00:22

This happened to me a few decades ago. The company told me to keep it in the end! As others have said, put it into Premium Bonds that you can cash in quickly if and when they finally get their act together.

MakingTheVeganYorkshirePud · 14/02/2023 00:31

Great idea about the premium bonds.

My company once continued to overpay me for several months after I'd stepped down from a position. I contacted them after receiving my first pay. They continued paying me for about 4 months. When it came to paying it back, I emailed saying they had to take my student loan repayments into account. They deducted the extra payments I'd made to student loan, and I paid it back.

MrsClatterbuck · 14/02/2023 00:37

One thing you could mention is that God forbid but if anything were to happen to you that account would be frozen and would now form part of your estate. Could be messy for your executors. How would they know.

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