Council employee left without money for food due to payroll error
An Oldham Council employee, referred to as Hannah, was left with no money for food after a payroll error resulted in her receiving a £0 payslip. The council had overpaid her during her sick leave following a serious road traffic accident and then reclaimed the funds abruptly without offering a repayment plan. Hannah, who was already struggling financially and emotionally due to a relationship breakdown and the loss of her father, was forced to use a foodbank and fell into rent arrears. She described the experience as dehumanizing and contemplated suicide. The council acknowledged the error, apologized for not offering a repayment plan, and stated they have conducted an internal review to prevent future occurrences.
Oldham Council Employee Left Penniless After Payroll Error Recovers Wages Without Warning
An Oldham Council employee recovering from a serious road traffic accident found herself with no money for food after the local authority abruptly reclaimed overpaid wages, leaving her with a zero-pound payslip.
The employee, identified only as Hannah to protect her identity, had been off work for three months following her collision when she received an email revealing the council had continued paying her full wage during her sick leave. Hours later, another email arrived stating they would recover the money immediately.
“I had no money to buy any food,” Hannah said. “Or to pay my priority bills.”
Forced to seek a foodbank voucher and left in rent arrears, Hannah described the experience as “dehumanizing.” She had already been struggling with finances after a relationship breakdown and the recent loss of her father.
The council admitted “human error” caused the overpayment and acknowledged Hannah should have been offered a payment plan, as she remained entitled to monthly sick pay. The employee, who has worked with homeless people for years, said she never questioned the payments because she had submitted all required sick notes and documentation.
“It was Oldham’s own occupational health department who told me I wasn’t fit to return to work,” she added.
The financial shock pushed Hannah to a dark place. “I contemplated suicide. Because I was already struggling with my mental health. This just left me feeling like ‘what is the point?’” she said. “I’m lucky I’ve got a really supportive family, and if it wasn’t for them, I might have ended my life that day.”
A council spokesperson apologized, stating: “She should have been offered a repayment plan, but wasn’t. We are really sorry she wasn’t offered time to pay the money back, and for the distress it subsequently caused.” The authority has since conducted an internal review to prevent similar incidents.
Hannah, who has worked since age 16, called the treatment “abhorrent” and said it was the first time she felt “unsupported and unsafe” due to an employer’s actions.
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