Payday mayday | Westminster Council overpaid staff nearly half a million pounds due to payroll quirks

Payroll timing issues led to Westminster City Council overpaying staff by almost £480,000 over five years, new figures show.

Data obtained through Freedom of Information requests by the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) revealed that while the council has recovered most of the money, around £99,000 remains outstanding.

According to the council, the issue largely stems from employees leaving after payroll deadlines have passed.

A Westminster City Council spokesperson said the organisation "makes a considerable effort to recover any overpayment which is not returned straight away".