My Boss Owes me £1k and has said several times he will pay it back but still hasn't. What can I do?

Hi guys,

So quick bit of context, I recently started a job working for a finance company as the marketing lead. Two weeks into this new job, I am asked by one of the directors of the company to sort out 5 apple gift cards, each valued at £100, and that I would be reinbursed as soon as I provided the cards. It is for an internal competition for reward other employees. Being new at the company, I agree as I don't to give them reason to doubt me in my probation period.

By monday the following week I have purchased the cards and brought them into the office with recipts, in which the director asks if I can purchase 5 more Apple gift cards. I say I can, but only once I am reembursed for the first 5 as I do not have the funds, to which the director agrees. At first he offers to put them as expences added to my first paycheck, however this would result in me making a loss as it will be taxed, so I refuse and ask for a bank transfer instead, to which the director once again agrees. Later that day, he says that he has began transfering through BACS so it may take a day or two to arrive, but the innicial £500 has been sent.

By Thursday of that same week, I have now purchased the next 5 gift cards and brought them into the office with their recpits. Once I inform the director of this, he says thank you and that he had to cancel the first refund payment for an undesclosed reason, but will pay me back the full £1k. That was now 4 days ago and I am still yet to be paid back. Naturally I would have never agreed to do any of this unless I was confident the director would be true to his word and pay me back as soon as I have sorted the cards.

This has left me in a very desperate financial situation, as not only am I £1k short, I started working for this company half way through the month, so the paycheck is naturally low. After having paid off my bills at the start of the month, I have been left destitue and still have bills left to pay later in the month.

FYI, I am a single male in my twenties who rents alone and covers all his expences (car, mobile, energy, broadband, council ect.) and have previously worked in very low paying roles so have nothing in the way of savings to fall back on. It took me years of applying to new jobs to get this opportunity so I really don't want to lose it, however cannot remain in this situaion. Being owed money like this has proved detrimental, so does anyone have any advice, legal or not on what recourse I have here?

Cheers for any help and sorry for the essay. Something so simple shouldn't require so much context, but unfortuantly that is the situation, just want to give all the facts.