can a previous employer ask for overpayment of salary back, when they were the ones that over paid me?

Answer 1

if you get paid in advance they can and you quit before you've worked it

Answer 2

Check out the advice guide website on the link below. This is copied from the source below.
If your employer gave the impression that the wages were correct at the time they were paid, you did not know that you had been overpaid and you have spent the money (and to pay it back would put you in a worse financial position than if the overpayment had not been made) you should argue that you should not have to repay the money.
Hope that helps. There are fact sheets available on this site too, if you need more information.

Answer 3

I am afraid that your employer can ask for your overpayment to be repaid. The same as the Government depatrments who make overpayments, then ask for it to be repaid. It is obvious that someone wasn't doing their job properly when you raised this matter with them, But nonethe less, you will still have to make the repayment. Perhaps the can fix it so you only pay back a small amount at a time which may help you in your circumstances.

Answer 4

Unfortunately, yes. I got a phone call from an employer about 2 years after I had left asking for about £1000 back. They had overpaid one month, I told them, they did it again the next month, I kept telling them. They never seemed interested in me paying it back despite me trying to!! When I left I wrote to them asking them to confirm how much I owed them and how to pay, no response! Then, 2 years later they phoned to tell me I still owed them money....!

But yes, employers do have a right to ask for the money back and you do have to pay it, but you can pay it on your own terms. If you only want to pay them £1 a week then they have to accept it, as long as it fairly reasonable for what you are earning and can afford.

Answer 5

You have a contract of employment for the period you worked for them and it was agreed that you would do certain tasks for which they would pay you certain sums of money. Those sums are what you are entitled to and no more so the overpaid amount belongs to the company and they can claim it back.

Answer 6

yes they can claim it back but if you refuse to pay they would need to claim it back via legal proceedings.
if,however, they still owe you wages from which they could deduct it then you would need to claim reimbursement via the courts.
thus it depends on who owes who at the present time and whether either wants legal action

Answer 7

you made an agreement to work certain hours, doing a certain job for a given amount of monies, so i,f you have been overpaid then i,m afraid you do.

Answer 8

Yes, if they didn't really owe it to you. That's whether it was a mistake or some kind of advance.

Answer 9

They can but they cannot deduct it from your salary without your consent