Help put my mind at ease... Ex-Employer keeps paying me -

Helpme88xxxx

I’m desperately seeking help to allow me to sleep and eat again! 

My ex-employer (a large medical co-operation in the U.K. shall we say) has carried on paying me. I was unaware of this after taking some time to myself in September abroad. I wasn’t checking my bank statements as I assumed I wasn’t being paid and never had to put my hand in my pocket as I lived with family - there was nothing else going into that account and I have enough to cover bills, October I was in a horrific car accident and again was left in a bit of a state so I’m sure you can appreciate I wasn’t going to be looking at statements. After being made redundant from my long term career due to covid my life was all over the place....  November is a better month. New job also. Checked my account as would be using it again and seen a bit more money than should be in the account. I looked further into this and seen the large medical company’s name.  Straight away I sent emails to my precious manager, payroll and human resources - I’ve since found out they didn’t terminate my contract properly end of august. HR confirmed the termination and so did my manger on the day I terminated. However their protocol wasn’t followed through. I alerted their payroll department (trying to pay them back) desperate to get this sorted. They’ve told me they can’t help and it’s likely I’ll be paid for December also. As the manager hasn’t followed the procedure in place. I’ve contacted her over and over and haven’t had much help from her at all. I’ve called and left voicemails. She keeps saying “I’ll look into it” I’ve been worried sick that it took me till the third payment to notice this and was scared and petrified I’d be done for fraud. 

Now I have had a few things come out of this certain card, so although I have most of the money as I never spent it - there’s some that is missing admittedly. Is there anything I can do to stretch the repay back? I can pay MOST of this back -  This type of situation during covid times isn’t welcome and I’ve honestly lost so much sleep being worried sick about it. I’m far from a theif or fraudster.  

TadleyBaggie

Why start a new thread in the exact same place as the last one?

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6220147/ex-employer-keeps-paying-me#latest

KatrinaWaves

Especially an hour after the last one? A double post is fair enough but another post an hour later?

you have multiple replies on your other post. Go post there. 

Dave_T_UK

I notice that on Helpme88 profile, they joined on 29th Nov, so i would assume they are not familiar with the forum, and the two replies are of no help to the OP

Helpme88xxxx

Extremely sorry! One was done on the iPad and sent automatically when it had WiFi - apologies 

Helpme88xxxx

Dave_T_UK said:

I notice that on Helpme88 profile, they joined on 29th Nov, so i would assume they are not familiar with the forum, and the two replies are of no help to the OP

I am really sorry. I sent one on the iPad and I assumed it didn’t send due to poor WIFi. So made a new one on my phone - It looks like it’s automatically sent from the iPad when it found strong WiFi. Apologies. 

TadleyBaggie

Dave_T_UK said:

I notice that on Helpme88 profile, they joined on 29th Nov, so i would assume they are not familiar with the forum, and the two replies are of no help to the OP

Perhaps not, but at least it will stop other members replying to both threads.

Manxman_in_exile

Don't worry about it.  AiUI your previous employer has told you and confirmed that this error is because your line manager and/or HR didn't follow the correct procedure in terminating your employment - yes?  So it's not your fault then and nobody will be accusing you of fraud.

Yes you'll have to pay it back.  If I were you I'd agree a re-payment plan over the same period that you've been overpaid.

Make sure you write to and email your former manager and HR department telling them to correct the error.  Don't rely on the 'phone and keep copies of correspondence.  Yes - you may still be paid in December but you've been warned of that and it's not your fault.  Don't spend it.

(What is a "large medical co-operation in the UK"?  You don't mean the NHS do you?  The NHS is notorious for overpaying staff - usually because managers don't follow the correct termination procedures - and they've had a lot of practice putting them right).

Helpme88xxxx

Hi. It is, I wasn’t sure if I was allowed to state the company as I am new to this online group. 

I tell you what, it’s completely ruined me mentally as I’ve never had anything like this happen to me before, I tend to over think things and by that I mean the worst. 

That’s correct the Procedure of the termination form has not been followed. I’ve really tried hard to rectify this. I’ve always back up phone calls with emails “ as per telephone call” then I just confirm the conversation we have had and what needs to be done on their part. 

I advised HMRC long ago that they was no longer my employer and they was removed. They are down as my online HMRC as previous employment. I really do believe I’ve done everything I could. I’m a fool for not checking my statements but I had no reason to at the time and if I’m being honest I was in a bad place after being redundant from my working life career. 

Thank you for your time in replying to me - it really is much appreciated 

Helpme88xxxx

Manxman_in_exile said:

Don't worry about it.  AiUI your previous employer has told you and confirmed that this error is because your line manager and/or HR didn't follow the correct procedure in terminating your employment - yes?  So it's not your fault then and nobody will be accusing you of fraud.

Yes you'll have to pay it back.  If I were you I'd agree a re-payment plan over the same period that you've been overpaid.

Make sure you write to and email your former manager and HR department telling them to correct the error.  Don't rely on the 'phone and keep copies of correspondence.  Yes - you may still be paid in December but you've been warned of that and it's not your fault.  Don't spend it.

(What is a "large medical co-operation in the UK"?  You don't mean the NHS do you?  The NHS is notorious for overpaying staff - usually because managers don't follow the correct termination procedures - and they've had a lot of practice putting them right).

Hi. It is, I wasn’t sure if I was allowed to state the company as I am new to this online group. 

I tell you what, it’s completely ruined me mentally as I’ve never had anything like this happen to me before, I tend to over think things and by that I mean the worst. 

That’s correct the Procedure of the termination form has not been followed. I’ve really tried hard to rectify this. I’ve always back up phone calls with emails “ as per telephone call” then I just confirm the conversation we have had and what needs to be done on their part. 

I advised HMRC long ago that they was no longer my employer and they was removed. They are down as my online HMRC as previous employment. I really do believe I’ve done everything I could. I’m a fool for not checking my statements but I had no reason to at the time and if I’m being honest I was in a bad place after being redundant from my working life career. 

Thank you for your time in replying to me - it really is much appreciated 

Manxman_in_exile

Don't worry yourself about it - it doesn't reflect on you.  I was a NHS manager for 25 years and am very familiar with overpayments - both from being overpaid myself and recovering overpayments from others.  It happens all the time in the NHS - usually because managers have made a mistake when terminating someone.

If you've been overpaid over, say, three months, I'd try to get it agreed to repay over a similar period.