Got Overpaid

F

fuisce

Guest
All,
Can anyone help me with this?

I left a company in the middle of march.
It now appears that they overpaid me for March. That is they paid me for a full month when I didn't work a full month.

They also paid me for April, and I didn't work in April.

The company sent me an offical letter last week looking for the monies they overpaid me. However they only noticied this when I sent them an email querying why they hadn't sent my p45 through.

I spent the overpayment in March as I assumed that they had paid me the correct wages.

I still have most of the money from the April overpayment but again I just assumed that this had been a bonus or something that I hadn't calculated.

Do I have any legal rights in this matter? or do I have to pay them back the overpayment?
 
If they had underpaid you would you be willing to leave your money with them? It's their money, not yours so you should return it.
 
You have no legal rights to the money if it was paid in error. As said above, what would you do if it was on the other foot. You will have to return it. Come to an arrangement with regard installments or something if you can't repay the full amount in one og
 
Not sure about your legal rights, you could call a Solicitor and ask for advise as usually this is free. However if you do decide or have to pay back the money perhaps you could come to an agreement with the company in question and pay them back in installments rather than one lump sum coming out of your pocket.
 
I'd return April's money immediately and discuss instalments for March's overpayment. As stated by previous posters, you'd expect them to pay you if the situation was reversed. Not only that, you may need a reference from this company at some point in the future, better off not burning your bridges.
 
I agree with ACA.
However, be sure you look carefully at the P45, as it is likely that they have included the March and April salaries in this and you have been taxed and PRSI also, so your March and April allowences have been used up.
 
Good point Mizen Head, never thought of that. Perhaps if you have the time fuisce you should arrange to meet the book-keeper/wages clerk and discuss further.
 
Thanks for the input.

Do I have a legal obligation to give the money back? (Leaving the moral issues aside)
 
good on you for spending it...
did they owe you any holiday's or back pay before /when you left.
check your own records to ensure all was in order up to the day you left then ask them to explain exactly how they came to the figure that they want back from you.don't just hand it back.
as the others said it's not your money really but they are the ones who made the mistake.
if they were crap employers and treated you badly i would offer them a fiver a week until the debt is cleared
 
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