DMBM209140 - Payment processing and accounting: irregular payments: unidentified payments

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General
Cheques
Cash
Courier Collection Service
Advising DMB Banking
Payment identified
Payment not identified
Action in DMB Banking

General

You may receive a payment with no identifying details such as customer reference number or name. If so you should make enquiries to try and find out enough information for the payment to be correctly allocated. If you are unable to identify where the payment relates you should follow the guidance below.

Note: Investigation of unidentified payments always remains the responsibility of the original receiving office.

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Cheques

If the payment is payable to HMRC, but the customer details cannot be identified:

  • complete form AZ818(Recovery) showing:
  • your collection numeral
  • effective date of payment
  • the amount
  • replace the wording ‘Law Costs’ in the reference field with ‘Unidentified Payment’
Note: You will have to write outside the keying field in this instance.
  • include a note:
  • saying who is responsible for tracing the customer details
  • advising when full details will be notified to DMB Banking
  • send the cheque and form AZ818(Recovery) and copy to DMB Banking
  • await notification from DMB Banking of the OAS number.
Note: If you identify the customer you will need the OAS number to arrange for the payment to be allocated correctly.

If the payment is by cheque send Form 53 in a sealed, stamped envelope, care of the branch of the bank on which the cheque is drawn, with a covering letter asking the bank to forward the letter to their customer.

After four months if you have not identified the customer ask DMB Banking to put this payment to permanent overpayments (POP).

If at a later stage you identify the customer ask DMB Banking to allocate the payment to duty.

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Cash

If you receive an unidentified cash payment in the post you should:

  • count the cash in the presence of the Cashier's Supervisor/ Supervising Officer
  • prepare receipt(s) for the cash and retain both the original and copy securely in the office
  • record details of the payment in CBook 23
  • note the CBook 23 consecutive number on the copy receipt and retain securely
  • prepare a cash paying-in slip.

If you are taking the payment to the Post Office in person:

  • prepare a PS1(AZ) payslip
  • in the reference number box show your office numeral and enter 'UP' to indicate it is an unidentified payment.

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Courier Collection Service

If you are using the Courier Collection Service to collect the cash payment you should

  1. Complete a Post Office Cash Only slip.
  2. In the reference number box show your office numeral and enter 'UP' to indicate it is an unidentified payment.
  3. Complete the front of the 'Oddments' envelope:
  • the account number is 1105469
  • your office stamp goes in the Branch Stamp box
  • strike through the envelope number
  • ignore the box and 'Initials' at the foot of the envelope which is for Post Office use.
  1. Seal the cash in the envelope, which must be signed by yourself and your supervisor.
  2. Print the supervisor's name and contact telephone number on the envelope.
  3. Use a rubber band to attach the Post Office Cash Slip to the 'Oddments' envelope.
  4. Place all individual ‘Oddment’ Envelopes in a G4S security sack.
  5. Complete the template at the Payment and Banking site and email it to the addresses shown on the template.
  6. Seal and retain the G4S sack securely ready for collection.
  7. Complete the front of the sack with details of the delivery address found on ‘Post Office List’ tab of the template.
  8. On collection of cash complete acknowledgement document ‘Acknowledgment Form’ tab on the template and return it the mailbox shown.

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Advising DMB Banking

Send an e-mail to DMB Banking:

  • advising an Unidentified Payment for £XX.XX has been paid into the Post Office
  • saying who is responsible for investigating the case.

Await notification from DMB Banking of the OAS number and note it in CBook 23.

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Payment identified

If you identify the correct customer's details:

  • advise DMB Banking where to allocate the payment and provide the OAS number
  • obtain the top copy receipt
  • enter the customer's details on it
  • issue the receipt to the customer.

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Payment not identified

If after four months you cannot identify the customer ask DMB Banking to put this payment to permanent overpayments (POP).

Note: If at a later stage you identify the customer ask DMB Banking to allocate the payment to duty.

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Action in DMB Banking

Where the clerical Alliance & Leicester payment is an unidentified payment the Clerical Giro Processing Team at Shipley should

  • process the payment by using an AZ818(Recovery) showing ‘Unidentified Payment’ in the reference field
  • forward the AZ818A(Recovery) and superseded Post Office Cash Only slip to the appropriate team at Cumbernauld.

On receipt of the e-mail from the local office:

  • link the AZ818A(Recovery) and papers from Shipley
  • advise the person responsible in the relevant Debt Pursuit Office of the OAS number
  • B/F the case for 4 months.

If the customer is identified in this period you will:

  • receive allocation instructions from the Debt Pursuit Office, or
  • when 4 months 2 weeks has expired, allocate payment to Permanent Over Payment (POP).