Nursery want ££ s in back payment due to their miscalculations. Help!

So they’ve invoiced you and you paid the invoice.
It also looks like they aren’t clear on how much they’re supposed to charge people if 2~3 people have had different amounts for similar time spent at nursery.

Id keep in touch with the other parents you mentioned.
Id also ask them for a detailed invoice for each months they are querying. And one for the coming month.
Id also ask a clear breakdown of the costs in general (how much per day, deductions etc….) so there is clarity on how much you’ll be invoiced.

Ethically, I’d want to pay what it was supposed to be. But you clearly have grounds for asking that back payment to be staggered.
On legal grounds, I’m not sure they have a leg to stand on as they provided the invoice. But someone more knowledgeable on the law side might have more info,

If you'd been OVERCHARGED £2300 would you expect it to be paid back?

Don’t beat yourself up for not noticing. When DS started at his new nursery I had to ask ours if they’d applied the 15 hours correctly as I was so confused by it and even with going over it several times to try to figure that out I still failed to notice that a sibling discount had been applied twice so we underpaid. I don’t know what it is with nursery invoices but they’re something else! I would ask for a breakdown of the invoices so you can double check it’s correct, if they’ve made a mistake once maybe they have again, if they haven’t I expect you’ll have to pay but I would ask to set up a payment plan.

How did you not notice your bill increasing by 33%?

Just ask for a payment plan.

Check the figures and if they're right that you've underpaid, you do need to pay back. But as it's their mistake they should accept payments rather than one lump sum.

I don't think you should have to pay it. Going forward yes, but they will have to swallow the costs as it's their error. Totally not fair to expect you to pay retrospectively.

Double check the invoices - my nursery charged me wrong the first month DD1 got 15 hours and then the month DD1 got 30 and DD2 got 15. I managed to work out what it should be and show it was wrong, but between stretched hours, “top up” fees that aren’t a top up that vary based on the age of the child and whether they have lunch, the fact the hours don’t cover the whole session etc - it’s a minefield and I can see how you’d assume 3 days at full price would be broadly the same as 4 with the funded hours if you just glanced.

Doesn't the invoice say the number of days they have provided child care?

You don't have an argument you have a negative opinion. Point is - even the actual nursery who was invoicing for services rendered - couldn't even get it right? One hundred per cent possible for someone to not notice something like this- you're relying on the fact that someone is invoicing you? The OP isn't doing them out of anything - their accounts department is incompetent.

What are you wanting to challenge?

My argument still stands. I can absolutely GUARANTEE you that OP would have noticed had she been overcharged!

If you used the hours of childcare you should pay for them. I’m not sure how you didn’t notice the bill was too low?

Okay but it is? I’ve done it for my 6month old. And calculated both 15 hours from January and 30 hours from next September when it changes.

Ask them to provide the calculations so that you can check and agree them. They should also send a letter to all affected parents and apologise for their error.

Then work out how much extra you can afford to pay without leaving yourself short and agree a payment plan with them.

Yes, you owe them the money, but they can't leave you short due to their mistake.

Yes @IrisTea I agree. Some people are just here on Mumsnet for a fight and it really makes me cringe a little bit. The OP was very clear in her original post that it’s an extremely complicated system and so they didn’t notice, I can sympathise with that. The government funding has caused a lot of confusion for a lot of childcare providers and we know a few people that have had the opposite thing happen – the provider has realised they’ve got their sums wrong and have tried to offer a kickback. It’s certainly not as simple as seeing that you’ve been paying 33% less. Not sure why people didn’t read that bit.

To the OP, I would be asking for a payment plan over perhaps six months @StationeryNerd

I really don't understand why you're being so disrespectful to the OP - It's completely different to pay a lump sum of thousands in one go - than an additional uplift each week which would be nowhere near that figure? It's seems to me the OP has done nothing wrong. They're simply asking if they have to pay it back all
In one go- hoping from some support from someone else who had been in the same position / they're probably wishing they hadn't bothered.

You will need to pay it I would say. But it's annoying. The system is ridiculously complicated and the nurseries are not receiving adequate funding from the government to cover the 'free' hours.

Ask for a breakdown and if you can pay in instalments

Did you really have absolutely no idea what you'd be expecting to pay before increasing the day care you were taking by 33%? If you don't now have the money to cover the mischarging I really don't understand how you were in a position to afford to be so laid back about budgeting before making the change.

Seems like you've already got your answer- first step is the breakdown of fees charged including their calculations for the funded hours. I just wanted to say though, I can one hundred percent believe it was a genuine error- I remember those nursery invoices being unholy complicated. Hope it all gets sorted. X

You'll need to pay it - ask them for a full breakdown then you'll need to negotiate a payment plan over time.

Firstly would want to see the revised invoices and the originals and compare the amounts. Secondly did you apply for the funded hours ans provide the nursery with the code? If not you will not have received the funded hours as the nursery will not have been paid.

I would then check the calculations and if correct would agree a repayment plan.

Probably the most important question to ask yourself is - do you want/need your child to continue to attend this nursery?

Assuming the calculations are correct, you obviously need to pay it. But they should agree a payment plan with you.