Overpaid - attempting to return the money

Mulder00 · 3 April 2018 at 1:42PM

I gave notice at the beginning of January and requested a shortened notice period to finish on 16 February instead of 30 March. I had verbal acceptance of the reduced notice period and made special arrangements to be in the office to hand back everything on 16 February, so my last day was never in question. I never had written agreement to the reduced notice period though.

At the end of February, I got out less than usual, but more than I expected (I thought it would be around 60% of my usual salary, but it was closer to 85%). I just brushed it off as being a payout for my accrued leave.

Fast forward another month, thinking I'm rid of the company, I woke up with a notification of my full salary having been paid to me.

I have no doubts that I have to pay it back, but I'm having difficulties contacting them. I have no email address for HR services or payroll (it's one department). Even when I had to apply for references, they told me the only way they can be contacted by outside companies is by snail mail. I tried phoning them, but the system wants my employee number which I don't have and after holding for about 20 minutes, I gave up. I then tried another number, but that didn't work.

I fear that I'm going to have to get an envelope and stamp and actually write them a letter. It's frustrating and inconvenient as I just want to get on with my life.

How much effort do I have to put into attempting to contact them? I would like to move on and focus on my new job - at what point have I fulfilled my obligation to try and put this right?

I have no interest in keeping the money, but equally, I don't want to spend the next two months arguing with someone about where to return the money to and tax. (Seeing as it is very close to the end of the year, how will I even get my tax fixed up as my income is of course going to be overstated for 2017/18!)

Just how much effort do I have to put into trying to correct something which wasn't my mistake?

custardy · 3 April 2018 at 1:53PM

If you arent fussed. park it up in an account and wait for them to contact you.

Samsung_Note2 · 3 April 2018 at 1:58PM

custardy wrote: »

If you arent fussed. park it up in an account and wait for them to contact you.

Exactly that..if you know how much over you have than should have.

Put it away and wait for them to claim it..after all,you didn't ask for it and are prepared to repay it,dont see why you should do anything else.

Mulder00 · 3 April 2018 at 2:29PM

I think the Theft Act applies if I do nothing::

24A Dishonestly retaining a wrongful credit.
(1)A person is guilty of an offence if!!!8212;
(a)a wrongful credit has been made to an account kept by him or in respect of which he has any right or interest;
(b)he knows or believes that the credit is wrongful; and
(c)he dishonestly fails to take such steps as are reasonable in the circumstances to secure that the credit is cancelled

custardy · 3 April 2018 at 2:33PM

Mulder00 wrote: »

I think the Theft Act applies if I do nothing::

24A Dishonestly retaining a wrongful credit.
(1)A person is guilty of an offence if!!!8212;
(a)a wrongful credit has been made to an account kept by him or in respect of which he has any right or interest;
(b)he knows or believes that the credit is wrongful; and
(c)he dishonestly fails to take such steps as are reasonable in the circumstances to secure that the credit is cancelled

Well what do you want people to tell you?
Do you really expect a criminal conviction for an overpayment of money you havent spent?
Bung a letter in the post then.

bugslet · 3 April 2018 at 3:41PM

It might apply in theory, but you are over thinking if you think your ex Company will use it.

When they wake up sufficiently to notice that £xxx that they overpaid you, they will send you a letter/email saying, we wrongly paid you £xxx, give it us back.

You give them it back, job sorted.

If they don't ask, then keep it in an interest bearing account for a few years, then count it as a win.

Or alternatively just write a letter. It would take less time than creating a post on a forum and replying.

Savvy_Sue · 3 April 2018 at 3:44PM

Do you not have your employee number on a previous payslip?

agrinnall · 3 April 2018 at 4:03PM

Mulder00 wrote: »

Just how much effort do I have to put into trying to correct something which wasn't my mistake?

I think that spending less than £1 on a piece of paper, an envelope and a stamp, 5 minutes writing a brief letter, and a detour to a post box while you are out, is the minimum you should do to deflect any future criticism that might come your way if you do nothing at all.

Carrot007 · 3 April 2018 at 4:17PM

Why are you contacting hr/payroll? You tell your old manager and they can sort it out! Job done.

Mulder00 · 4 April 2018 at 8:37AM

Thanks for the replies. I was thinking about it last night and I wonder if the theft act really applies. Is it a wrongful credit if the money was actually intended for my account - that sounds more like it should apply when I transfer money to someone and type the account number incorrectly, not sure.

I want to know what is the least amount that I can do to still be on the safe side of the law. I'll probably go buy some envelopes and a stamp tonight and then write them a letter, but happy to hear opinions as this has been playing on my mind all long weekend! I honestly thought I could just phone them yesterday and it would be gone.

I don't have previous payslips as they tried make us all go paperless. I haven't had a printed payslip for about 3 years now (and as it's all online and I don't have access any more, I could not check my February payslip details). I'll try and find the ones I printed off for my mortgage 3 years ago - it might be on there.

My previous manager is 100% not the person to contact. He made a huge fuss when I put his name down for a company reference saying that it should go to HR (knowing that they insist on going the snail mail route) - he was very happy though to provide a personal reference, so it wasn't anything personal.

Takeaway_Addict · 4 April 2018 at 8:44AM

agrinnall wrote: »

I think that spending less than £1 on a piece of paper, an envelope and a stamp, 5 minutes writing a brief letter, and a detour to a post box while you are out, is the minimum you should do to deflect any future criticism that might come your way if you do nothing at all.

send it recorded delivery so you have proof you have done this

Overpaid - attempting to return the money

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