How to Dispute a Payslip Error UK: Your Rights and the Process (2026)
By Andy Enrique
April 2026
If something on your payslip feels wrong, it probably is. Payroll errors across NHS, retail, security and policing are far more common than employers let on — and most workers don't challenge them because they don't know how. Here's exactly what to do.
The four-step process for disputing a UK payslip error in 2026 — from identifying the discrepancy to formal grievance and ACAS.
Key Takeaways
UK employers are legally required to correct payroll errors and backpay any shortfall — this is not discretionary
Your best evidence is your own shift record — timestamped, with rates and totals, built in real time not reconstructed from memory
Most errors resolve at Step 2 — a politely worded email to payroll with your figures. You rarely need a tribunal
If payroll ignores you, your union rep is the single most effective escalation — they resolve payroll disputes regularly and for free
Employment Rights Act 1996, s.13 — it's unlawful for an employer to make a deduction from wages unless it's authorised by your contract or statute. Underpaying you counts as an unauthorised deduction.
Employment Rights Act 1996, s.8 — you have the right to an itemised payslip showing gross pay, deductions, and net pay. If those figures are wrong, you can challenge them.
National Minimum Wage Act 1998 — every hour worked must be paid at or above the current NMW/NLW. If an error takes you below this, it's a separate and more serious breach.
The practical outcome: if your employer underpays you and you can demonstrate it, they must correct it and pay the shortfall. There is no reasonable excuse for a persistent error once you've raised it in writing.
Employment Tribunal time limit
Claims for unlawful deduction of wages at an Employment Tribunal must generally be made within 3 months of the last deduction. Don't sit on this for too long. Raise it as soon as you spot it.
What evidence you need
You need two things:
📱
Your shift records
Every shift worked: start time, end time, rate you were meant to be on, total expected pay. Timestamped. Built in real time, not reconstructed.
📄
Your contract
The section showing your agreed hourly rate, overtime rate, and any enhancements. This is what your employer is bound by.
💰
Your payslips
The specific lines showing hours paid, rates applied, and totals. Screenshot or photograph every payslip month by month.
📧
Any written communications
Rota changes, confirmation of overtime requests, shift reassignments. Anything that shows what you were asked to work and when.
The single most valuable thing you can do starting today: download Overtime Live (free, iOS and Android) and log every shift as it happens. Three months of timestamped records with rates and totals is more than enough to build an undeniable case for any payroll dispute.
The four-step dispute process
1
Compare your records against your payslip — in writing
Sit down with your shift record and your payslip side by side. For each discrepancy, note: the date, the hours you worked, the rate you should have been paid, the rate you were paid, and the difference in pounds. Be specific — "I worked 4 hours overtime on 15 March at a rate of £18.75 but was paid at £14.50" is an argument. "I think I was underpaid last month" is not.
💡 If you don't have shift records yet, start building them from today using Overtime Live. For past months, reconstruct from your rota, bank statements and any written communications.
2
Email payroll with your specific figures — and request a written response
Keep the tone factual and non-confrontational. List each discrepancy with your figures. Attach your shift records and the relevant section of your contract. Ask for a written response within 28 days and confirmation of when the correction will be made. Copy your line manager. Keep a copy of everything.
💡 Subject line: "Payroll query — [your name] — [date range]". This makes it easy to track and harder to ignore.
3
Escalate to your union rep
If payroll doesn't respond within 28 days, disputes your figures without good reason, or drags the resolution out across multiple pay cycles, contact your union rep. They deal with payroll disputes all the time, know the regulations inside out, and can often resolve it in a single conversation with HR that would take you months of emails.
💡 Not in a union? Consider joining one. The subscription cost is usually less than a single month's payroll error. Most unions offer free advice even before you join.
4
Raise a formal grievance — and then ACAS if needed
If the issue is still unresolved after Step 3, raise a formal grievance in writing under your employer's grievance procedure (this should be in your staff handbook). Your employer is legally required to investigate and respond. If they still don't act, contact ACAS for Early Conciliation — this is a free service and a required step before an Employment Tribunal.
💡 Most disputes never reach this stage. Step 2 resolves the majority. Steps 3 and 4 are for persistent, unreasonable employers.
Which union to contact
Unison
NHS, local gov, education
RCN
Nurses & midwives
Police Federation
Police officers (E&W)
GMB
Retail, security, logistics
USDAW
Retail, distribution
Unite
Logistics, warehouse, transport
Most common payslip errors by sector
Sector
Most common error
What to check
NHS (AfC)
Saturday/Sunday crossover rate wrong
Enhancement should change at midnight — check shifts spanning the boundary
Police
Rest day at wrong rate
Check notification date — under 8 days = 1.5x, not plain time
Retail
Bank holiday plain-rated
Compare payslip rate on BH shifts against your contract terms
Security
Overtime threshold miscounted
Check whether OT kicks in at 40h or 48h — this determines multiple hours per week
All sectors
Hours simply wrong
Your payslip total hours should match what you actually worked — verify against your own record
How to build your evidence from today
The best shift record is the one you built in real time — not reconstructed from memory two months later when you finally check your payslip.
✓
Overtime Live Free
Build your evidence automatically with every shift · iOS & Android
Start the shift when you clock in. Set the rate you're meant to be on. Stop when you finish. Overtime Live logs the timestamp, the duration, the rate, and the total — automatically. Over a month you have a complete, timestamped record of every shift you worked and what you should have been paid.
When your payslip arrives, open the shift history and compare it line by line. If the figures don't match, you have the evidence already built. Copy the totals into your email to payroll. Done.
Free — no subscription, no account required
Every shift timestamped automatically
Supports multiple rates (overtime, bank holidays, night uplifts) in the same week
iOS Lock Screen Live Activities — visible on shift without unlocking
All data stays on your device
FreeiOSAndroidNo account
Start Building Your Evidence Today
Every shift logged is evidence you'll have if you ever need it. Free on iOS and Android, no account, all data on your device.
Can I claim backpay for a payslip error in the UK?
Yes. Employers are legally required to correct payroll errors and pay any shortfall. There's no strict time limit on a backpay claim, though Employment Tribunal claims must generally be made within 3 months of the last deduction. Raise it as soon as you spot it.
What if my employer says the payslip is correct?
Ask them to explain in writing exactly how they calculated the figures. If their explanation doesn't match your contract or the regulations that apply to your sector, you have grounds to escalate to your union rep or raise a formal grievance. Your records versus their records — whoever has the clearer evidence wins.
How long does my employer have to fix a payslip error?
There's no statutory deadline, but 28 days is a reasonable expectation for a response, with the correction appearing in the next pay cycle. If it takes longer than two payslips to resolve, escalate to your union.
Can I go to an Employment Tribunal over a payslip error?
Yes — for persistent underpayment this constitutes unlawful deduction of wages under the Employment Rights Act 1996. You must complete ACAS Early Conciliation first. Claims must be made within 3 months of the last deduction. A union rep can support you through the process.
What's the best way to track my shifts for evidence?
Build the record in real time, not from memory. Overtime Live (free, iOS and Android) timestamps every shift automatically — start time, end time, rate, total. Three months of that data is more than enough to dispute any payslip error convincingly.
