CM refusing tax free childcare

I use the tax free childcare and I made sure the nursery I attended was signed up when we first started.
Like you OP, I can't afford to lose out 200 quid a month. I'd start looking elsewhere.

No, the schemes are different - 15 & 30 hours are funded by the council. Though lots of childminders choose not to offer funded hours too.

No that’s not correct Spinn

I'm happy to be corrected if I'm wrong here but i thought CM also use the tfc account for the 30hours free so does this also mean your cm won't be offering the 30 free hours once child is 3?

if you had to give up £200 a month you would soon kick off.

I wouldn't 'kick off' to a business provider because well, they can tell you to leave and find someone else to provide the service under your terms.

If a parent can use it and find a provider who accepts that mode of payment, crack on.

Similarly, if a business can manage just fine without accepting that mode of payment then they, too, are perfectly within their rights not to.

If I go to a business and find out they only take cash and I only have a card or my phone, then I have to find somewhere else to procure the wares or service. Kicking off will just get me, quite rightly, shown the door.

Parents can "forget" to send it however they pay you.

Surely anyone with their own business has a contingency for people not paying on time every so often?

And as for "lost in the system" surely thats easily sorted with a phone call and proof from the parent that theyve paid?

I am in love with the idea because it saves me a significant amount of money and will continue to do so for the next 9 years.

If you can use and it (as a parent) and dont id say that was an incredibly stupid decision.

If you’ve never had a problem with it then of course you won’t understand the POV of someone who has. When you can’t pay your mortgage because your money is ‘lost in the system’ or because a parent ‘forgot’ to send it on time, then you might not be so in love with the idea.

I don't really understand why people hate tax free childcare. As long as you have an ofsted number a cm can set up easily.

I did have a glitch at first as the website couldn't find my cm but I called up the tax free childcare number and they answered in 2 rings and sorted it within 5 minutes. I transfer the money to the account and it takes 2 working days max and then I pay and cm receives it within 24 hours. It's co much more flexible and you can overpay so you have money in there for extra holiday care. I cannot understand why a cm wouldn't sign up as they receive the full payment like a bacs payment. With 3 dc it makes a big difference to us. Will hug cm when I see her as clearly she's a keeper

Tax free childcare has been a real pain for me and many of my childminding colleagues haven't signed up to it yet.

I doubt she's declaring reduced income to HMRC, because they regularly cross check amount parents say they are paying when parents are claiming certain allowances. I certainly wouldn't risk it.

If you need someone that takes tax free childcare payments, then you may need to find someone else.

I should have said - the agreement we have with our cm is that she’ll receive the money by month end . If for any reason this didn’t happen through the CC account (we’ve never had a problem though) wed have to pay her cash / instant bacs payment and the delayed funds would cover the next month. She’s never ever be paid late.

Nanny - many employers won’t want the increased admin involved with running two different schemes.

My employer refused point blank to run any childcare scheme as they didn’t want the hassle.

Lonely = money

YANBU op... we use the childcare choices website and simply make sure we pay funds in well before month end.
The childminder recieves the full amount into her bank account in good time every month. The only difference to her is that she gets from a childcare choices account rather than our bank account.

It’s a huge amount of money you’ll lose. I really can’t understand why she won’t take these payments.

And “because I don’t want to” as an argument , whilst legally fine, seems a bit shitty when you think of the amount of lonely it’ll cost the op.

From my position all her no’s look like they are because she doesn’t want HMRC knowing what I pay her???

Not that her tax affairs are any of your fucking business, but unless you pay her in cash it's pretty obvious what amount she's being paid? No?

Likely to do something vindictive?

Like what? Save herself £200 a month like anyone would?

God forbid.

That makes me her customer??

And as such, any business can refuse your custom.

From my position all her no’s look like they are because she doesn’t want HMRC knowing what I pay her???

Of course they do, because you are pissed off she's not doing what you want and that she charges what you do so you assume the worst when in fact she may not want the hassle and have enough clients where she doesn't need to take it on. But that doesn't suit your agenda so you're likely to do something vindictive because she won't kowtow to you.

A lot of employers are closing the voucher scheme to new entrants and according to people I have spoken to this is happening all over - if I go on to have more children I wouldn’t be able to get vouchers so the account is the only way for us?

The scheme was closed in October 2018 to new entrants, that is correct. However parents already in the scheme, so long as they do not change employer, can remain in the scheme. Having another child would not change that unless you left employment with that employer.

You are indeed her customer but that does not mean you can dictate how she runs her business. You have asked and you have given some advance payment options, she has said no. I doubt you will change her mind, so time to look for alternative care.

Theyd still be getting the same amount if they used the TFC childcare system so hows it working for free?

It is their choice but it shows theyre only after £££££.

The CM is running a fucking business not a charity. Only after money? What a bloody shocker.

I’m sure they are difficult so understand childminders point of view but don’t know anyone that can afford to not save £200 a month . It’s a ridiculous situation ( much like the free hours for 3 year olds but that’s a who different thread ...) This government are brilliant at gimmicks but not at thinking through the practicalities 🙄

It is their choice but it shows theyre only after £££££.

Oohhhh! I thought I was doing as a favour! I forgot asking for money in return for my time and services was greedy! Tell me... do you work for free too?

Well personally no a couple of days wouldn't matter to me and if i had my own business id like to think i wouldn't be down to my last £ the day before u expected my fees. But fair enough if people want to be funny about it theyre entitled to be but it is somewhat selfish and i do think generally a bad decision.

For parents with one child where both parents get childcare vouchers the voucher scheme can be worth more than Tax-Free Childcare. So your employer should look carefully at why they want to phase out vouchers as it could be detrimental to some of their staff.

If TFC is better for you then yes I would change to that and if that means looking for another childcare provider then so be it. Your childminder is perfectly within their rights to dictate what payment methods they accept.