Mr R Seabrook v Home Regeneration Ltd — 2025

Mr R Seabrook brought a claim for unauthorised deduction from wages against Home Regeneration Ltd. The respondent did not defend the claim, and at the hearing its representative did not seek to depart from the ET3 statement that the claim was not defended. The tribunal said formal witness evidence was unnecessary because the claimant produced HMRC records showing what he should have been paid, and those figures were not disputed.

The tribunal found that the claimant did not allege any shortfall in wages up to April 2024. For May, June and July 2024, he ought to have received £4,692 gross, which would have been £4,248.52 net after tax and national insurance. In fact, the respondent paid £700 net for that period, leaving a shortfall of £3,548.52 net.

The respondent suggested that the calculation had not taken account of pension deductions, but the claimant said he had made enquiries and the respondent had made no payments to the pension fund for the relevant period. The respondent had no evidence that any part of the wages properly payable had been lawfully deducted by way of employee pension contributions, or that it had properly accounted to the pension provider for any such sums.

The tribunal therefore ordered the respondent to pay £3,548.52 net to the claimant and directed that no PAYE or other sum should be deducted from that amount.