Cost of living | Next & Asda payroll errors are hitting staff at the worst possible time

Workers at two of the UK’s biggest retailers have been underpaid by hundreds of pounds over several months, forcing some to use foodbanks and skip meals just to make ends meet.

Separate payroll system glitches have hit the pay packets of Asda and Next employees, at a time when many are struggling to stretch their wages even when paid correctly.

According to the Sunday Times, Next’s issues began in February when the firm outsourced its payroll management to US tech company Oracle. The company employs around 43,000 people in the UK but it is unknown just how many have been affected by the pay errors, but some staff told the Sunday Times they had missed out on as much as £200 per month. Others claimed they had cancelled days off to bolster their wages.

Similarly, The Guardian reported that Asda bosses admitted some workers had lost out on more than £500, following almost 11,000 errors made by its external payroll provider, affecting the wages of 5,500 staff.