To be worried about not getting my money!!!

[MaryPoppinsMagic]

I have just started out as a childminder and have taken on a parent with 2 children, one is at school + one is 2. The parent is at college and the college are paying for the childcare costs.

There has been a few complications with regards to the eldest childs school hours, (he has autism so is not going full time just yet) the college said they would only pay for 1 month of the child being part time at college after that the parent needs to cover the shortfall. Parent cannot afford this as is at college etc etc. So i have been going backwards and forward with the college to get the money i am supposed to be paid, i was told by the college that they pay childcare termly so i was supposed to get paid from October - December on the 3rd October.

Being told i would be getting every 3 months (termly) i re-arranged my bills and rent payment to pay in line with when i get money, as this is my first job as a childminder i felt this would be the right way to do it,

Anyway, On the 3rd the college only paid me for the month of October with no communication as to why they had not paid up to December, i managed to get through to the person who deals with it and she advised that i would get the rest of the payment this thursday (6th) as they needed to get it agreed for the hours however would let me know if there was any problems, so i went ahead and made a budget on what money i had already and paid some bills which i was behind on (i have been out of work for a while) then yesterday comes and there is still no money in my account so i called the college to be told the invoice had not been put through as there was still a problem with child 1's hours at school.

After a lot of being fobbed off i got a call from the 'finance manager' she proceeded to be really really rude to me, telling me i should manage my money better, calling me a liar that the person had never told me i would get the payment this week, i came off the phone in tears.

i seriously dont know what to do about all this, i sure as hell know i dont want to be going through this stress all the time! what can i do?

I can see why a college might want to pay termly (I get my grant from university every 3 months not every month and a right pain it is, for the reasons you give). But if you have written agreement with the mum or the college, you need to push for the money according to that agreement. Emails count as 'in writing'.

If you don't have written accounts (which it sounds like you don't), write now setting out when you were told what (eg. 'I was informed x by person y, by phone on [date]'), as formally as possible, and demand the money. Don't keep phoning or trying to sort it without written contact. You need stuff like this in writing.

You need a water tight contract, good self employment insurance and savings to be self employed, or a good credit facility in case of emergancies. If you get something contagious/break a limb, you cannot work, what are you going to do?

birds I am with ncma for insurance etc.

I don't think everyone has savings these days!

I resent you turning this onto be my fault when clearly I am going by what I was told. Guess that's the new mumsnet way!

As your contract is with the mother then it is her resposibility to see that you are paid, whether that money comes directly from the college or not.

I would talk to her about it, as you don't want to, for example, look after child 1 for 4 hours a day only to find out 2 months later that they college will only pay for 2 hours and the mother is too skint to make up the difference.

If it were me I would be sorting all this out to make sure that however I was paid, that at least I knew I would definately be getting paid for the amount of hours I have worked.

I am not turning it into your fault, i am just giving you advice on self employment. When you are self employed you get let down sometimes on payment, you have to figure this in, just in case.

You are running a business and the first year is always the hardest and has teething problems.

You have to have a contract in place and you follow your contract conditions. Occasionally parents hit problems, it is upto you how much you are willing to accomodate these.

Do you resent me for pointing out that you have been paid for October, just like the woman at the college?

have you spoken to the mother of the children about this? Surely it is up to her to pay you and she gets the money from college?

Personally I wouldnt have organised my bills, rent etc quarterly as that is such a huge amount to have to pay out at once. Maybe you could go back to monthly and budget accordingly. If you struggle to budget maybe get a bank account for bills and rent and another account for food so you arent short.

This sounds like a total nightmare, especially if this is your first job as a CM.

Birds, it is coming across like your really not understanding what i am saying? i am not trying to be difficult, i am trying to sort a mess out which i know nothing about!! I have to be insured, have contracts in place etc before i take children on which is what i did when i took the children. it is not me who is moving the goal posts here.

I know i have been paid for october, if i was told 'you will be paid monthly' i would of sorted a budget based on a month to month income, however i was told termly hence the 3 monthly budget plan.

Your comment about you cannot rely on your income that is ridiculous, everyone (unless rich) has to rely on their income! to eat, pay bills etc, i don't think british gas would accept me saying to them 'sorry i cannot pay due to not being paid myself' or telling my landlord not to expect rent when she is supposed to have it! or even saying to dd 'sorry darling, no food tonight as mummy hasn't been paid for working in the last months'

If the college say they are giving money on a certain time they should do that, and not just change their minds without a word of warning!

witches i have spoken to the mother and we have written up an agreed list of hours for the child in question and she is going to go into the financial office at the college to try and get this mess sorted.

I set the bills up quarterly as i was told i would get money quarterly so i feel it makes sense to pay bills when i get paid, its the lack of money going into my account, not the budgeting thats the problem

When you are self employed you get let down sometimes on payment, you have to figure this in, just in case

And how would you suggest i 'figure this in'?

I would be lodging a formal complaint with the college about being spoken to in that way. Thats truly appalling.

However I agree with the posts that its the parents responsibility to make sure you are paid if you are providing them with a service, presuming that your contract is with them and not actually the college.

I get that you were trying to catch up on bills you were behind with from being out of work; the problem isnt your financial management!

rhonda thanks for your reply, My DP said i should find out who the head is and complain about it all, i am just another piece of paper to them i think.

you know when you see a light at the end of a long dark tunnel? then all of a sudden the tunnel goes dark again.. thats what has happened here

I would suspect there is some dispute between the mother and college over what they have agreed to pay for and even perhaps if she meets the criteria especially for a school age child. I work for a charity which occasionally pays chilldcare and have had "misunderstandings" over hours , rates, students making up shortfall etc and invoices which simply don't match up to what has been agreed, and always pay in arrears according to the classes attended. Ultimately there is a limted amount that the college can recoup from the government.

Sorry you may have got caught in the crossfire. Has the mother paid any deposit - if you had a month's money in hand that at least would help your cashflow and give you some security.

lizs i said to the mum i would not charge her a months deposit based on the college paying 3 months in advance as i felt this was sufficient security.. how wrong was i!

You dont sound very professional. Why were you calling the college and giving them your tales of woe about your bills? Thats very odd.

In that case I would be very wary about continuing the arrangement, you are starting a business and need to deal with this mother on the same terms as any other. Do you have anything in writing from the college to agree to those payment terms. Also is there anything that might suggest they may reserve the right not to pay if she doesn't attend her course ? Ask her to get those assurances for you.

clarence i take it you heard the conversation? for you to make that decision about me? I called them when my email had not been replied to about the money they advised i would get which was not in my account.

I have been nothing but professional with the college and the parent, and i have gone above and beyond the duty of a childminder for this parent. I am professional and am trying my best to sort this out!!!

liz I do not have anything in writing, although i think after all of this i am going to ask for it in writing just so i have a back up if it goes wrong again.

It seems to me that the problem is mostly caused by you opting to pay your own bills by quarterly direct debit, upon hearing your first client would pay quarterly, rather than opting to leave your own financial commitments as they were and put surplus funds (ie fees for the next two months) on account to transfer across monthly for your own bill payments.

You have been paid for October. Your own commitments do not concern neither the mother nor the college.

Yes, the goalposts have been changes (and this happens a lot when you are self employed) but it would not mattered so much had you not tried to change your own affairs according to the goalposts.

scaredbear which forms do you mean? I've not had any forms from the college?

scaredbear which forms do you mean? I've not had any forms from the college?