CM refusing tax free childcare

(until TFC started!)

tannith well I wouldn't, am I not allowed to say that?

the rest of it wasn't aimed at her personally was it?

Many of the existing childminders did not choose to take on funding. voucher schemes or tax free childcare and may have been running when families actually paid 100% of their children's care fees with no help for 5 years per child and moaned one hell of a lot less about doing so even though it was still a huge amount of money they just knew it was their responsibility to pay for their child or choose not to have them

well that's both offensive and stupid isn't it, if you can pay £200 a month less, why the hell wouldn't you?

(ps I have been paying 100% of my childs fees since he was 9 months old)

Flamingofridays you made it personal when you told Georgie you wouldn't want a childminder with so much attitude.

flamingofridays - the problem about putting money aside for a childminder is that they have no business or start up loan they have a bare minimum wage when they typically start many not even making a 20 year olds minimum wage. They cant take on more customers as their numbers are strictly controlled and even opening longer does not guarantee them earning as much as £3 an hour for working to 9 or later or on A Sunday as your not likely to be full in these times Remember they don't earn 100% of the fee that's paid and they also work lots of unpaid hours not just on accounts but essential training, printing and putting together learning journeys, report and activities as well as evidence for Ofsted like reflective practice journals and risk assessments so a typical 7 to 6 day is often 6.30 to 7 or as late as 10. So whilst one customer paying you late wouldn't break your bank for most child-minders it does and yet they still have ot buy food for that child and activities as well as their own bills.
If they take funding they will be paid less by the Local authority with many LA's making them wait to the middles or end of a term for the money yet they have to feed and occupy those children while waiting for the council to have the only remaining income paid late as well is enough to not only close the childminder down but to loose some their homes and credit ratings. Many of the existing childminders did not choose to take on funding. voucher schemes or tax free childcare and may have been running when families actually paid 100% of their children's care fees with no help for 5 years per child and moaned one hell of a lot less about doing so even though it was still a huge amount of money they just knew it was their responsibility to pay for their child or choose not to have them.

Just find another childminder who's signed up to the scheme. She's completely within her rights to not sign up, just as you are within yours to move your child.

£200/month is a lot of money.

Georgie im not saying you should do anything. And I already said I understand that having some money saved is not always doable.

stop taking everything so personally!

And equally, I do take these schemes because I’m not trying to be difficult for parents. I’m trying to explain why some cms wouldn’t. They are a pain.

You’ve said you don’t use a Cm anyway. Your nursery isn’t one person relying on a few families to pay their own personal bills. They indeed could cover a payment or two being late by a few days/ weeks. I can’t. I live pay day to pay day. I’m sorry if you think I should have something better sorted, but I don’t. Many people live this way. I don’t have money in my budget to produce a buffer right now. I don’t know what else you want me to do.

I never said people paying you late was reasonable, did I?

I personally have never paid nursery late, so I think you're aiming your shitty comments at the wrong person.

All I said was is that when you have your own business these things do happen and if I was in your position I would aim to have something to fall back on. I understand this isn't always possible, but it is obviously something that is preferable.

Also, OP had offered to pay her CM early, so its unlikely her CM would find herself in your position. I still think its unreasonable for CM's to decline TFC payments, but they can do as they like. I wouldn't use someone like that though.

Yes I am defensive and I don’t care if you think I have attitude. I’m currently £1000 short for my bills so far and struggling all because parents haven’t paid on time this month. So yes, I am stressed by it. And if you as a parent think that’s unreasonable, then frankly, I wouldn’t want you as a client either.

Georgie you're being very defensive. I think op's question Is fine to ask, especially as its costing her a lot of money a month!!

I wouldn't want a child minder with so much attitude tbh

surely you can ask if there is anything pending into your account?

FYI you won’t get £200 a month from TFC. It is a maximum of £2000 per year. So you would only get about £20 per month more than you do with vouchers.

4 weeks of phone calls and no money for bills so having to fund a lone is a good enough reason for me a parents promise to pay if its late doesn't mean they actually will or that they really did make the payment as the GDPR regs mean I cant be told and now another month is due. Add to that loosing £1 for every funded hour the government have got me funding a lot of free childcare while I struggle to pay bills. No more tax free childcare.

Erm bank transfers are instant. I can check my own account to see if they’ve paid.

She won’t know that, she might suspect it but she can’t know. And even then, a cash transaction isn’t illegal!

Many childminders need to prove their income for mortgages, loans, and countless other reasons. They won’t be trying to underplay their income at the risk of not being able to mortgage their home.

Just because a cm chooses to receive a certain type of payment doesn’t mean she is on the fiddle and it’s very insulting for you to suggest so. It’s been explained why they aren’t easy methods for cms to accept. I don’t accept cheques but that doesn’t mean I’m committing fraud ffs!

There is no way for childminders to check if the money had been sent so just have to wait for it to appear in their bank account

Ummmm , just like if parents were paying by bank transfer then ? You can’t phone the parents bank either !

I suspect the op knows the CM is paid in cash for some work. If she does any extra hours for example.

I would be annoyed too op. I'd look for somewhere else.

We can't phone and ask if parents have sent money, because that's parents confidential information. The same as we can't phone your bank to ask if you've paid.

Why would I want to spend my time phoning to check payments have been made? Not my responsibility - responsibility if the parents to ensure full payment is made on time.
If parents can't pay in time due to the payment method they have chosen then it seems reasonable that childminders wouldn't accept it.

There is no way for childminders to check if the money had been sent can they not make a phone call ask?

Fiddling her tax??? Unless you pay her in cash that is impossible as hmrc can check her bank account for transactions and will also have a record from which ever voucher company you use.

I suspect the reason she is objecting to registering with tax free childcare is due to the amount of childminders who are waiting for payments for weeks and only have the word of the parents that it has been paid. There is no way for childminders to check if the money had been sent so just have to wait for it to appear in their bank account

I can see how frustrating it is for you. But the bottom line is she is free to accept whatever payment methods she likes. So like you might think a shop is short sighted if they don’t take credit cards becuae it is inconvenient for you, it’s just the same.

If she won’t budge you will either need to suck it up or move providers.

Ah I see @CCS83 - thanks for clarifying. I was vaguely aware a new scheme was coming in but the vouchers work so well for us I haven't looked in to it.

How do the tax free vouchers cause hassle for child minders? It's a genuine question as I used them for years, they were paid out to my childminder the same day I was paid. The £243 is what she was paid, it's me who will lose out later on life with pension contributions not the childminder...
She didn't have to do anything at all, the money was paid directly into her bank account.
are people confusing vouchers with the 15-30 hours free child care (which is a completely different scheme and yes is probably a pain in the arse for them).