Technical Adjustment HSE

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Mam1996

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Hi all, looking for some help regarding the technical adjustment from 2005. Following maternity leave and unpaid leave I eventually got around to paying it back in 2013. However I received a letter last week asking me to set up a payment plan. I made contact and explained that it had been repaid but there's no record which I find really unusual.
It was before the new, current payroll system so they're telling me that unless I have my payslips that there's nothing that can be done. Unfortunately I don't have the payslips (surely I shouldn't have to keep every payslip). Has anyone any experience of this? I have contacted my local payroll and they're looking into it but not very hopeful as the previous system is offline now.
 
You really need to make that post a bit more user friendly. Bear in mind that we don't know what you know about this issue!

From what you have written, I have deduced the following:- (please correct me where I'm wrong and answer the question in italics)
  • You have been a HSE employee since at least 2005
  • due to a "technical adjustment" you were overpaid in 2005
  • 8 years later you repaid your employer
  • your employer now claims to have no record of these repayments and, 18 years later, wants you to repay them?
  • you don't keep payslips from 10 years ago - which is reasonable - so are unable to prove that you have repaid the amount
  • it appears from the reference to payslips that you repaid your employer by salary deduction
  • I assume that you don't have bank statement from a decade ago which you could use to show the reduction in your salary?
So (i) how did you arrange to repay your employer in 2013, and (ii) how did you know how much to repay them?
Surely there has to be a paper trail somewhere - possibly on your personnel file - that would state the amount due and would have instructed your payroll unit of how much should be recouped from your salary?
 
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Would your bank be able to assist? Your salary should have suddenly dropped if you were repaying your employer ?
 
Thanks all for taking the time to reply.

So in 2005, the HSE moved from monthly pay to biweekly pay ( I have been employed since 2000). In order to not leave anyone short of pay we were overpaid and in my case the over payment was by approx €1000.
We had the option to pay it back or allow it to be taken from our lump sum on retirement. I decided to pay it back in 2013 as during mat leave and periods of unpaid leave I didn't want to be down money. I paid it back slowly at €50 per paycheck and seeing as the amount was taken before tax there was only a slight difference in my salary but had it sorted in under a year which suited me.
Now, unfortunately they don't seem to have any record of it and seemingly no way of finding out which I find very strange.

I will certainly see if I can access bank statements which is a good idea, I'm getting no where with payroll or local HR. Just wondering if anyone had a similar experience.
 
Mam1996 said:
Thanks all for taking the time to reply.

So in 2005, the HSE moved from monthly pay to biweekly pay ( I have been employed since 2000). In order to not leave anyone short of pay we were overpaid and in my case the over payment was by approx €1000.
We had the option to pay it back or allow it to be taken from our lump sum on retirement. I decided to pay it back in 2013 as during mat leave and periods of unpaid leave I didn't want to be down money. I paid it back slowly at €50 per paycheck and seeing as the amount was taken before tax there was only a slight difference in my salary but had it sorted in under a year which suited me.
Now, unfortunately they don't seem to have any record of it and seemingly no way of finding out which I find very strange.

I will certainly see if I can access bank statements which is a good idea, I'm getting no where with payroll or local HR. Just wondering if anyone had a similar experience.
Click to expand...

I still find it difficult to see how your payroll section would have reduced your pay for the loan repayment without having received some sort of written instruction either from you or from your HR unit. Surely they can't just take money off an employee without some formal documentation being sent to them, especially in a big organisation like the HSE? A copy of the instruction to make the deduction should be on your personnel file.
Have you a union that might be able to assist you with your inquiries?
 
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I would write an email as follows.

I repaid the technical adjustment in 2013.

Please ensure no deduction is made from my salary as thus would be an unlawful deduction under the payment of wages act 1991.


Kind regards,

Also they should have had a written instruction, can you or then check emails.
 
Thanks again, yes they had a written instruction from me to take the payment, I just can't find a copy and they don't seem to have it either. I have an email to my own payroll section but this is not proof of payment.
They won't take it again without my permission which obviously I won't be giving but the problem is that they don't seem to have any access to old payslips to prove it was paid.
 
You have a lot of information while the HSE has an absence of information.

1. You are aware of the original overpayment.
2. You knew it was to be paid back via salary or pension deduction.
3. You decided to repay in 2013 after your pregnancy when you were in a stable pay period.
4. You know you agreed to a €50 week deduction over 20 weeks.
5. You recall writing a letter of instruction.

Given all that specific information the HSE are on a very weak footing saying it is your responsibility to produce payslips. They need to keep records just for these scenarios and saying it was a historical system they cannot access is their issue to sort out.

Write back to the person who issued the latter pointing all of this out and ask them to fully search your personnel file and your salary records before progressing further. It was only last week, I doubt if they looked too hard in the interim.

Your P60’s or bank records may help, but it can also take a while to find or access these.
 
Mam1996 said:
I have an email to my own payroll section but this is not proof of payment.
Click to expand...

They are quite something else. Insisting that the money be paid now and no proof on their side that the payment was not made whilst you have a copy of an e-mail instructing them to go ahead. If you gave the authorisation in the e-mail and they didn't go ahead then that's their fault.
 
1. The Technical Adjustment was launched in 2005 to coincide with the launch of the ill fated PPARS system. It could be compared with the launch of the Titanic. The PPARS system never worked and despite huge investment €240,000,000.00+. It was probably the greatest cock-up in the history of Public Service personnel and payroll.
2. To pay back the Technical Adjustment some correspondence would have to be got from you. This might be an email and likely a copy is in your Personnel File.
3. Personnel/Payroll in the HSE would have details of your payments and deductions before and after 2005. If what you are saying is the truth I believe you will have no further problems regarding the Technical Adjustment. But, I would seek written details.
4. For the record many would have received the Technical Adjustment and never repaid a cent i.e. those who left the service shortly after.
5. How long do I keep Civil/Public service payslips:- I have them since 1970 and my advice to anybody is to keep them rather than discard as I've seen so many disputes of pension contributions, technical adjustment, etc coming up to retirement for so many. If you dont keep your pay slips, please do so now. An empty shoe box is a good idea.
 
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Leper I used the PPARS system daily for years and it was excellent.

Was too much spent on it, yes. But it did work.
 
Mam1996 said:
Thanks again, yes they had a written instruction from me to take the payment, I just can't find a copy and they don't seem to have it either. I have an email to my own payroll section but this is not proof of payment.
They won't take it again without my permission which obviously I won't be giving but the problem is that they don't seem to have any access to old payslips to prove it was paid.
Click to expand...
The email should be sufficient. No reason it wasn't acted on. At this stage it up to them to prove they didnt act on that instruction.
 
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