What should I do if I think I’ve been overpaid?
Very occasionally, a mistake or miscommunication can lead to you being paid too much. It’s usually due to human error, which means you end up getting paid at an inflated rate or for work you didn’t carry out. It happens. But that doesn’t mean you’re entitled to keep the money.
If you think you’ve been overpaid, it’s best to tell us as soon as possible so we can ask your agency to check the payment against their records.
If your agency agrees that you’ve been overpaid, we’ll arrange for you to repay the funds. You can either repay in full or in instalments. Often the simplest way to repay is to ask your agency to deduct the amount from future payments.
What if you keep quiet? Well, your agency is likely to flag the overpayment with us at some point, and we’ll then take steps to recover the funds from you. In extreme circumstances these steps can include deducting the full amount owed from your next salary payment or a county court claim.
It’s also worth keeping in mind that significant overpayments may affect your entitlement to tax credits or benefits, if not paid back.
We pay on instruction from your agency. As your pay is likely to vary regularly, we recommend you keep records of the work you complete and the rate agreed for each assignment. Check this information against your pay advice slips each week. By doing so, you will quickly notice if you’re ever paid too much or too little.