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Original poster

Paying back overpayment of wages

28 replies

Pavlovthecat · 29/04/2008 14:29

I went back to work after mat leave. Itinially full time, then reduced to part time.

My wages did not change. It has been almost ayear and I have been overpaid around £300 per month for this time.

Will I have to pay this back once my employers realise?

OP posts:

TheRedWorm · 29/04/2008 14:30

Yes!

Cappuccino · 29/04/2008 14:30

you didn't think to mention this earlier?

pooka · 29/04/2008 14:30

Yes you will have to pay it back I think. Have you not told them about their error? If not then do it pronto because will be complicated I should imagine.

flowerybeanbag · 29/04/2008 14:30

Yes you will. Did you really not notice for a whole year that you had £300 extra?!

expatinscotland · 29/04/2008 14:31

yes

Cappuccino · 29/04/2008 14:31

I do hope you haven't been spending it

bellavita · 29/04/2008 14:31

Have you put the extra money to one side?

Original poster

Pavlovthecat · 29/04/2008 14:34

I did not realise I was overpaid in fairness, as the first few months of changing my wages, they underpaid, so the next couple months were overpaid.

It then went back, after a payrise, and I paid no attention to it. I know I should have noticed, but I did not.

I was looking at my payslips this week, noticed now much I get, worked out how much I should be getting, inc tac deductions etc and worked out its around £300 difference. SO looked at all my wage slips.

So yes its my fault. But due to absence of mind rather than intention.

OP posts:

conniedescending · 29/04/2008 14:35

yes you will have to pay it back but you can decide the amount/ rate....e.g.£5 a mth

TheRedWorm · 29/04/2008 14:35

I'm sure you could negotiate a fairly favourable rate of repayment, so that you didn't suddenly have to find huge chuncks each month.

heronsfly · 29/04/2008 14:36

Hi, are all these mistakes being discovered because it is a new tax year I wonder.
I have been overpaid by my company for the last 10 months to the tune of nearl 1,000 pounds and yes I did notice and was told it was correct, they are fully admiting it was there fault but I still have to pay it back.
I receive working and child tax credits and this could have a huge impact on my income this year so I am asking that repayments are spread over a VERY long time.

Original poster

Pavlovthecat · 29/04/2008 14:38

heronsfly - they do not know yet. I noticed it.

OP posts:

Original poster

Pavlovthecat · 29/04/2008 14:41

Well I shall mention it to my line manager in the first instance, given that I suspect its an issue with her not informing HR of my new hours rather than HR messing up.

See what she says about approaching. Maybe I can agree to make up hours or something instead

OP posts:

heronsfly · 29/04/2008 14:48

Sorry, I did not realise that they did not know.I did not know about my overpayment until this months payslip showed that my take home ammount had dropped by so much,then I questioned it and it all came to light. A little bit of me wishes I had said nothing as now I would not be facing the drop in earnings plus the repayment issue,but I suppose they would have twigged in the end.

VacantlyPretty · 29/04/2008 14:51

Message withdrawn

Original poster

Pavlovthecat · 29/04/2008 14:54

Well, had I paid attention, it was relatively clear, as it did not change, apart from a slight rise with payrise and a month or two when it was being adjusted.

However, it sort of all got lumped into our monthly expenses, tax credits etc.

Its been spent, but should be repayable, just not in one go.

OP posts:

VacantlyPretty · 29/04/2008 14:55

Message withdrawn

Original poster

Pavlovthecat · 29/04/2008 14:57

vacantlypetty - I will talk to boss about it monday when I return to work, dont worry I wont leave it, just interested in whether I had to pay it back thats all , worth a try eh?

OP posts:

heronsfly · 29/04/2008 15:00

I think the problem is that although these overpayments add up to a large amount over several months,on a weekly or monthly basis they dont seem so much, if my wages had increased by £1000, in one month I would have questioned it at once,but mine was about £20 a week and if you do overtime ect it is not always clear.

Original poster

Pavlovthecat · 29/04/2008 15:02

Heronsfly - yes quite. I really dont know why it got missed by employers. Esp as they are strapped for cash . Oh well, tightening our belts is not a bad thing right? I like beans

OP posts:

heronsfly · 29/04/2008 15:23

Yes, I will join you on the beans diet.
What I am really dreading is explaining all this to the working tax credit people, as we all know on mn they have trouble with normal claims,dread to think what they are going to make of this, good luck

HappyMummyOfOne · 29/04/2008 18:25

They can ask for it back inone go if they so wish, particularly if they think you kept quiet in the hope they would not notice.

Be honest with them and hopefully they will agree to split the payment over a few months.

HappyNewMum2Be · 30/04/2008 14:47

OK - thinking about this, have you actually had any confirmation in writing that your reduction in hours would result in a pro-rata effect on your wages?

If not you could (risky but possible) argue that you assumed they knew what they were doing and that it has now become practice and custom - and therefore implied Ts&Cs. Also if there isn't a clause in your docs anywhere stating that any errors must be paid back, then they can't demand it back.

Got to be in writing for anything to stand up.

Original poster

Pavlovthecat · 01/05/2008 09:17

Happy - congratulations first of all with your first one!

There was no confirmation in writing. I put in my request for change of hours with my line manager, we had a meeting to discuss this agreed on different hours on basis of team needs, but which suited us all. Asked when this would/could start and it was agreed with effect from following week as start of new month anyway. I signed nothing to confirm hours. It was sorted between me and line manager. Wages were not discussed, I presumed this would be dealt with. Of course!

Then they underpaid me due to sickness errors, then they paid me this back so my wages were a bit screwed and I lost track of it all until this week.

I have a feeling my line manager just had not informed HR. She, and my colleagues know I am part time (well a bit more than part time), the workload is based on me being part time and it has been assumed that these are my working hours since last year.

I dont know about my contract, will dig it out and look see what is says but certainly nothing in writing to suggest my new hours or new wages.

I will pay it back, but if what you say is correct, it will give me some leaway to negotiate better repayment terms.

OP posts:

flowerybeanbag · 01/05/2008 10:36

Pavlov it does sound like the reason you had no confirmation, and the reason the mistake was made in the first place was that the relevant people just didn't know.

I would be astonished if there is nothing in your contract about your employer having the right to recover any monies owed through overpayment or anything else, that's pretty standard.

But the fact that it was your line manager's fault and you had no confirmation in writing of what your revised salary should be may well help you negotiate a payment structure you can cope with.

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