If you’ve received a letter from your department asking you to repay a Phoenix overpayment — especially one from years ago — you’re not alone. Thousands of PSAC members have been asked to pay back alleged overpayments, some dating back nearly a decade. 

Remember, if your overpayment is more than six years old, the employer cannot legally recover it without your consent. This is called being statute-barred under the Crown Liability and Proceedings Act. If the employer takes money from severance, pensions, or other entitlements to recover a statute-barred overpayment, that’s considered unauthorized. 

If you've received a letter like this, or noticed deductions you weren’t informed about, reach out to your union immediately. We can help assess your situation and advise you on the next steps, including filing a grievance where appropriate. 

Before you sign anything 

It’s critical that you do not sign or agree to repay anything until you’ve fully reviewed the letter. Once you sign and agree, there is no going back — even if the overpayment turns out to be incorrect or past the limitation period. 

Start by carefully reading the letter, which outlines the details of the alleged overpayment. Then: 

• Check whether any part of the overpayment is older than six years. If so, the employer cannot legally recover it without your agreement. 

• Review whether the amount is accurate, and whether you’ve already repaid it. Duplicate letters are common. 

• If you don’t understand the letter, or disagree with the overpayment, fill out Annex B accordingly — and explain why. 

• Submit your completed Annex B along with a Pay Action Request form, following the instructions in your letter. 

Do not attend any meetings about your overpayment without a union representative. These meetings can have serious consequences if you aren’t fully informed of your rights. 

If money is already being taken from your pay and you haven’t received a proper overpayment letter, contact the Client Contact Centre immediately and inform them that you haven’t been given an opportunity to review or dispute the overpayment. You should also contact our Phoenix team. 

We’re here to help 

Our team can help you understand your letter, determine if any amounts are statute-barred, and explore your options. 

You can reach out to us directly by selecting “Phoenix – Overpayments” on the Contact Us page. A member of our Phoenix team will follow up with you as soon as possible. 

We’ve also put together a detailed FAQ on overpayments with everything you need to know.