ASK AN EXPERT

I have left my job but my employer refuses to pay me what I am owed. What can I do?

Leaving a job should not be a complicated process, but when it results in a discrepancy in pay, it can become an extremely stressful one.

If you haven’t been paid the right amount after leaving a job, knowing your rights may help you to get back what you’re owed.

If you work the same number of hours each week, then you should be paid your usual wage during your notice period.

In addition to your basic pay, you could be owed holiday pay, redundancy pay, sick pay (if you were off sick in your notice period), maternity, paternity or adoption leave pay.

Your employer must pay you everything you’re owed in your last pay packet, even if you’ve been dismissed.

You’ll usually get this on the date you’re normally paid but check with your employer if you’re not sure.

If there is a discrepancy, you will need to act quickly – it’ll be harder to get your money after three months from your last pay date.

The first step is to talk to your employer. If you haven’t left your job yet, you could raise a grievance. This is a way of formally raising a problem at work – your employer can’t ignore it.

If your employer doesn’t have a grievance procedure or you’ve already left your job, try writing them a letter.

It should include the date you left, how much you think they owe you and how you’ve worked it out, when you expect to be paid and copies of any evidence you’ve got to back up your argument.

You might be able to get help from a trade union. They could negotiate for you or go to meetings with you and give you a greater chance of success.

If writing to your employer doesn’t solve the problem, you can contact ACAS on 0300 123 1100 for free independent support and to conduct a process called early conciliation – this means they’ll help you talk to your former employer and try to resolve the dispute informally.

Do this as soon as you can. The deadline is three months (minus a day) from when your employer should have paid you.

If you don’t reach an agreement through early conciliation first, then you can make a claim to an employment tribunal.

The deadline to make a sheriff court claim is five years, making it a good option if you miss the tribunal deadline.

However, if it does get to this stage, it’s best to seek further specialist advice.

I need to get a bank account for Universal Credit but I’ve got a poor credit history.

Opening a bank account is not too tricky once you know how.

If you find it difficult to open a standard current or savings account due to your credit rating or low income, you still have the option of a basic bank account.

You can apply for a basic bank account in person at a local bank branch and speak to someone face-to-face.

This means that you can discuss your needs with the bank and you won’t need to risk sending off any important ID documents in the post.

You will need to provide proof of ID and address to set up the account.

If you can’t provide this, then the bank might accept a “letter of introduction” from a trusted source.

Hopefully all will go to plan but if you are refused, ask for feedback and apply again with another bank.