EM1941 - Working the enquiry: general payments on account: unexpected payment on account

If you receive an unexpected payment on account, or a request for a SAFE reference to make a payment, consider your response very carefully.

In each case, you must immediately write a disclaimer letter to inform the sender that the payment will only be accepted as a payment on account and that acceptance does not imply agreement to settle on their terms, or acceptance of any offer that has been made.

If they have only requested a payment reference without making a payment, include this message in the letter with the payment reference.

If you are working towards settling the case by contract, you must also treat any payments received before we have accepted a letter of offer as payments on account for accounting purposes

• If the payment is expressed to be ‘in full settlement’ of your enquiries, or words to that effect, see EM6343.
• If the payment is accompanied by

• an offer for a substandard amount, or
• an offer for the amount sought but which cannot be accepted locally, see EM6402.

(This content has been withheld because of exemptions in the Freedom of Information Act 2000)