Letter from CRS regarding pay

[CB1100RS]

Hello,

I hope I am posting on correct forum, forgive me if I am not.

My wife worked for WH Smith from 2009-2019 as a part time sales assistant (approx 22 hours per week) on minimum wage.* Also I think worth noting is that during her ten years employed by WH Smith she was never issued with a contract of employment.

In May of 2019 my wife left WH Smith to work for a different retailer where she is still presently employed.

In October 2019 my wife received a letter from WH Smith stating that she had been overpayed wages totalling £611.97 and they wanted it back, attached were two photocopies of her wage slip one showing the overpayment and another showing the supposedly correct amount.* As far as my wife was concerned she worked in arrears and assumed the payment was correct when she received it.* We ignored the letter.

One month later in November my wife received another letter asking for payment of £611.97, again we ignored the letter.

On Thursday of last week (5th March) my wife received a letter from a company called CRS, I have attached the letter.* CRS are asking for £701.97 so already we are looking at fees of £90.

can anyone advise please on the best course of action moving forward.* We are both in our sixties and don't have a lot of money, I had to retire because of failing health due to cancer and my wife's only income is her part time retail job on minimum wage.

Any help or advice would be appreciated

Thank you.

[ULA]

The first thing you need to do is contact CRS. Please do not ignore this letter as they will move this along to the next stage which will be to initiate court proceedings. Explain that you are really sorry you did not respond to the letters from WHSmith as you believed that the monies you received were legitimate salary payments owed to you.*

Given the circumstances then try and negotiate a payment plan, however make it very clear that you will be contacting WHSmith direct to ascertain the overpayment that is trying to be recovered is bona fide and that if the facts of the overpayment are incorrect and monies have been paid to CRS under the payment plan that were not due you will be requiring reimbursement.

Next thing is to contact WHSmith explain why you overlooked the letters, confirm that you are in payment plan now with CRS, however you want to have a complete breakdown of what was paid to you, what they believe is the overpaid amount and how this situation came about.*