Work overpaid me by a couple of hundred when i left

Mrs_Sparkle

Yeah you'll have to pay it back. Businesses do make mistakes and it's not nice when they overpay and have to ask for it back but most of the time they will agree to take it back in instalments like your ex-employers have. We have a clause in our contract at my company- it's probably pretty standard to be honest. At least you've had the money- they're not asking you for money you haven't received.

teapot2

I knew of a number of folk overpaid by one of the London Boroughs, it was a smaller amount over a period of time so no one realised. The council just took it all back in one lump sum so its good that your previous emplyers are willing to take small installments. Obviously they're not in the position of being able to take it back as you have left - what sort of sum are they thinking of? Can you negotiate for a really small payment so you don't notice it so much?

I_was_a_fool

I used to work for a council & they kept paying me for three months after I left. I kept phoning them & asking them to stop & kept the money aside. Finally they asked for it back & it was quite a bit more than I had thought it was, due to being paid in arrears, holiday pay etc, so I had spent a bit of it without realising. They didnt let me pay in instalments either & behaved as though I had never told them anything....grrr.....

Smashing

Yes, you have to pay it back.
I would also suggest regularly checking your account online and becoming more familiar with your finances so you know what is coming in and going out and when.

Millionare

flaminglee50 wrote:

Response to mens health article:

1. I have a copy of the letter i gave to the centre manager to cancel my pay well before theyre required notice time.
2. I moved away to concentrate on my studies with many other transactions taking place in my account.
3. I have spent a lot of it.

It also says its very "tricky". A judge is gonna check your statements/transactions and want to know why you didnt notice a large credit payment into your account and how close to a overdraft you were going with transactons etc etc

it's upto you mate but most likely you'll end up in court if not paying it back.

i knew someone who was paid once they left a job, for a few months after she left actually. she kept quiet, she spent it, when they realised she had to pay it back.

madduck

Sorry mate, have to agree with the others, there is a moral and legal need for you to pay this money back.

I think that your previous employers are being very fair in accepting an installment repayment plan. Rather than putting your efforts into avoiding paying it back, why not put your efforts into working out a way of paying it back that works best for you. Being realistic though, they are likely to want it sorted out before the end of the financial year.

sparkles.

The money isn't yours and so do you not feel that you should pay it back?

Mrs_Sparkle

flaminglee50 wrote:

I spoke to an accountant today. I dont llegally have to pay it back as it was their fault, i handed my notice in and i did everything i had to. Theyre fault therefore they have to pay the consequences. If i still worked for them theyd sack me but i dont. The only bad news for me is i wont be able to get a refrence off them.

Your choice but why are you burning your bridges for money that never belonged to you in the first place?

LavenderLily_2

flaminglee50 wrote:

I spoke to an accountant today. I dont llegally have to pay it back as it was their fault, i handed my notice in and i did everything i had to. Theyre fault therefore they have to pay the consequences. If i still worked for them theyd sack me but i dont. The only bad news for me is i wont be able to get a refrence off them.

Gosh, that's unusual. I know that every place I've ever worked has had it in the contract that if I was overpaid then I was liable to pay it back. Are you sure you can trust this accountant? I mean, was it a mate who happens to be an accountant or did you actually go to see someone in a professional context?

I hope for your sake that you have got lucky with this one and it isn't going to bite you on the backside!

matty_c608

Morally it should be paid back. How ever, I think it's about time employers sorted themselves out, and get things right. A job is there to be done right, yes mistakes happen, but they ought happen with consequences so they get it right next time!