My Agency says they overpaid me - how to go about paying back?

Catriona

Hi, I wonder if anyone has any advice please?

I used to work for a temp agency (I'm not sure I'm allowed to name them here). I had some problems and delays with them, and had to chase up my late pay more than once. Even with the final lot of pay, which was garden leave, I had to chase them to get my money, mostly it seems due to my time sheets not being authorised in time by my manager's boss.

This old company informed me (only after I had taken the job) that I was working contract and had to use an umbrella company, which charged me every week to give me my pay, promising there would be all sorts of tax things I could do to claim the cost back. Of course, on a humble temp's salary, there weren't. My opinion of working contract cannot be stated here, where there might be minors.

When I got my final money from them, I thought it was the late and much debated garden leave pay, breathed a sigh of relief and got on with my next temp post with a new, much better company.

Now the umbrella company have sent me a letter saying I was paid in error and the old temp agency want £164, now.

A couple of calls pass, this is a summary of the information:

- that last pay was not my garden leave but pay sent in error to me, instead of to someone else

- every time sheet I sent had to be authorised by a manager, not just submitted by me, so the fault has been traced to the temp agency sending the umbrella company the wrong info, not me

- this resulted in me getting money they now want back, that I had believed was my late pay

- I am now redundant, having lost my job in the Cheshire reshuffle, and claiming Jobseeker's Allowance

In summary they've admitted this is their !!!!-up, and I have requested the information in writing. I have a feeling though that even though this is their mistake, it's not my money and I'll have to give it back. Of course, I don't have it any more, and I think I will have to agree a paying-it-all-back plan. Does anyone have any advice? I'm sorry this is a bit long-winded, I've tried to keep it short and .. well, short.

Thanks,

Catriona

HazelS_2

Hmmmm

Sorry to hear you lost out in the Cheshire Reshuffle - I was lucky, I work in Housing and we were pretty much untouched.

If I were you, I'd write to them, recorded delivery, and state that as you MUST still be waiting for them to pay you your Garden Leave, and as it was their mistake, then you're taking the £164 as part payment for that, and would like to be paid the rest of whatever you're paid asap...

See what they say about that?