The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) in Kenya is a government body responsible for the management and administration of teachers’ salaries, benefits, and employment conditions. However, there may be circumstances where teachers are required to return their salaries to the TSC.
In this article, we will explore situations in which teachers should return their salaries to the TSC in Kenya.
Salaries are returned to the Commission due to:
- Closure of your current bank account before the new one is operational.
- Recalling of salary by the Commission.
Any returned salary should be claimed in writing through the head of the institution.
Over Payment
This can occur when there are errors in the calculation or processing of teachers’ salaries, resulting in them being paid more than their entitled amount. In such cases, the TSC has the right to recover the excess amount paid to the teachers.
For example, if a teacher’s salary is supposed to be Ksh 50,000 per month, but due to an administrative error, they are paid Ksh 55,000, the TSC has the authority to demand the return of the additional Ksh 5,000.
An employee is required to notify the Commission of any erroneous payment. Where the overpayment is a result of death, the next of kin should notify the bank immediately. To prevent overpayment, Heads of institutions should report cases of death and absenteeism within 48 hours.
It is the responsibility of the teacher to report any overpayment and return the excess amount to the TSC in a timely manner. Failure to do so may result in legal action or other consequences.
Recovery of overpayment
Overpayment constitutes government liability whose recovery takes priority over all other deductions on the payroll. Overpayment will be recovered as follows:
- In reinstatement cases, the outstanding overpayment will be recovered in full
- In cases of retirement or death, any government liability is recovered in full from pension benefits or gratuity.
My salary was sent to the wrong station
Returned salaries are received by the Revenue Division at the T.S.C headquarters. If for genuine reasons your salary was returned and the division verifies that the case is genuine, they should be able to refund the amount due to you as soon as you contact them.
In cases where teachers are required to return their salaries to the TSC, they should do so promptly and in accordance with the TSC’s guidelines. Failure to comply with such requirements may result in legal action, disciplinary action, or other consequences, including loss of employment.