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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

to want to be paid for childminding!!

129 replies

Mum2Luke · 13/02/2012 12:19

mother has not been paid (or so she says) by Tax credits, rang them this morning to have some snotty git tell me its nothing to do with me yet I am the one who is out of pocket because I have not been paid!!

It is time childcare providers were paid directly by tax credits, she could be telling me anything but I cannot prove that. She owes me £78 for last week too.

Its not fair this, am doing a job and getting nothing for it, how do they expect us to entertain and feed the kids full-time in the holidays without any money?

Has anyone else had this problem?

OP posts:

ElizabethDarcy · 13/02/2012 15:54

Speaking as a CM,

OP I am afraid as much as I can sympathise with you, I do find your actions unprofessional. You have no right to phone tax credits.. your contract is with your client. Charge late fees per late day unpaid. If this is continual... give notice, and take on people who can pay you on time, so you can pay your bills on time. You are self employed and this is one of the less comfortable sides of it ... chasing money. But chase the right person. I would give the client some slack once, but then payments need to be on time.

Voidka · 13/02/2012 16:01

You seem quite angry OP - I dont know how I would feel leaving my child with someone quite so angry!

dandelionss · 13/02/2012 16:04

welcome to the world of self employment!!

nailak · 13/02/2012 16:05

Myi have debt collection agencies.calling for my.next door neighbour, so obviously debtors do do these things.

And when dd1 went to nursery I didn't pay in advance, I waited until I got paid tax credits then paid them. Otherwise I just wouldn't beable to pay or start work.

I dont get it, when you go to work you don't usually get paid in aadvance, but paid one month in lieu so why should childminders get paid in advance?.

Original poster

Mum2Luke · 13/02/2012 16:05

I am meeting with her later, have told her the score, no money, no minding tomorrow - simple. Am not going to be treated like a mug but it is very difficult when I am powerless as she holds the purse strings. How do I know she is not lying through her teeth and then spending my money on other things? There plenty of people like her who say they haven't been paid and then go on a weekend p-up with it. Her son's birthday is on Wednesday so I think she is lying through her teeth to buy him the latest console.

She asked ME to ring HMRC this morning and she is no lady I can assure you! I didn't know they wouldn't talk to me having never dealt with Tax credits before. As I said I have had parents who paid no problem before as per contract. I was livid with her when she rang me to ask what happened and told her to ring them herself on her lunch break to sort things herself.

All I ask is that I am paid for what I do, she now knows she will not be getting any minding until all money is paid so the cash better be paid tonight. How long does TC take to sort payments anyway when someone starts a new job, its done electronically these days surely?

OP posts:

HappyMummyOfOne · 13/02/2012 16:09

I actually cant believe you phoned tax credits, very unprofessional and totally crossing the boundary.

If your business cant run due to one client not paying on time then perhaps you need to relook at it.

Kayano · 13/02/2012 16:11

It's not even relevant how long the tax credits take to come through

Original poster

Mum2Luke · 13/02/2012 16:11

Voidka, I am not an angry person, I was very calm and it was not in front of the children. I simply said that the Mum asked me to phone to ask when payments would be made and he said we cannot talk to me, he was just very unhelpful so I ended the call.

OP posts:

Voidka · 13/02/2012 16:13

I dont mean angry on the telephone, I mean angry in person.

You come across as very hostile and insulting your own clients (even if she is having a problem with a payment) is very unprofessional.

rainbowinthesky · 13/02/2012 16:13

Gobsmacked at this thread. Of course he will be unhelpful. If he were helpful he'd lose his job. Why dont you phone her bank and ask if she has sufficient funds in the bank. I am joking btw. please dont actually phone the bank.

fedupofnamechanging · 13/02/2012 16:14

When I was a CM, I had my clients pay a deposit at the start of the contract. If I'd had a week where they didn't pay me, then I would have deducted it from the deposit, so I didn't lose out financially and would refuse to take the child back until the deposit had been repaid. Once the child left my service, I would return the deposit to the parents, provided all money owed was up to date.

I also took payment up front at the start of the week. To those of you who feel that as you are paid in arrears, it is fine to pay your child minders in arrears, the difference is that you are employees, but your CM is not. Your CM is providing a service, which you choose to use, the same as if you hire a plumber, or go to Tesco. They are entitled to be paid there and then, not when you get paid.

OP, it sucks when tax credits get ballsed up, but it isn't your problem. Don't do any more child care until she pays you. And next time you take someone on, get a deposit.

nailak · 13/02/2012 16:14

If you don't believe her when she comes to pickup p get her to phone tax credits and give them permission to talk to you. Then you will know when she will be able.to pay if you should keep spaces open etc.

verytellytubby · 13/02/2012 16:18

I can't get over you ringing tax credits. Flabbergasted. Plus you really seem to dislike her.

Original poster

Mum2Luke · 13/02/2012 16:22

HappyMummy - did you read my post? The Mother asked ME to call, I did say that they probably wouldn't talk to me but she spun me a sob story saying she can't phone at work, I just said phone in her lunch break. God, I tried to do a favour for pity's sake, what is so wrong with all of you?

Are any of you childminders? If any of you knew the stress am going through wondering whether I am going to be paid is getting me down. This is MY money, not hers, she MUST have been paid by now after ringing last Wednesday on her phone from my dining room (HMRC talked to me then to verify that I was a Registered Childminder yet they won't discuss today).

She's already dropped herself in it by saying she is going to Leeds on Friday with all her friends and that the children are going to their Nan's who is paying for that I wonder?

OP posts:

Nixea · 13/02/2012 16:22

"she is no lady I can assure you"

I can't get over how anyone could justify saying that about a client. Just shocking!

Voidka · 13/02/2012 16:24

Tax credits are not immediate - they have to be processed and then a bacs payment takes 2 days to action.

WorraLiberty · 13/02/2012 16:24

Her son's birthday is on Wednesday so I think she is lying through her teeth to buy him the latest console

She's told you what she plans to buy him?

Perhaps she's ordered it from a catalogue?

Voidka · 13/02/2012 16:25

So if she spoke the them on Wednesday its only been 3 working days.

cece · 13/02/2012 16:28

I pay in advance.

ssd · 13/02/2012 16:31

welcome to cildminding!!

its a bloody nightmare, as you are finding out

the tax credits folk won't help you as her claim has nothing to do with you (in their eyes), its between her and the tc's people

sounds like she's spinning you a line, all you can do is learn from thsi and get the money up front next time you take on someone new

GetOrfMoiiLand · 13/02/2012 16:34

Jesus wept, read the thread OP, there are loads of people on here who are childminders.

You sound nuts, tbh.

BigFatHeffalump · 13/02/2012 16:37

What!? The government doesn't give sensitive private information to angry strangers on the phone?

lorcana · 13/02/2012 16:39

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by Mumsnet.

toomuchmonthatendofthemoney · 13/02/2012 16:40

OP if you had put in your original Post that it was the mum who asked you to phone tax credits on her behalf, then that would have helped us understand a lot better and saved you some of the harsh remarks about being unprofessional you received, it's a kinda important detail don't you see that??

Betcha she knew they wouldn't talk to you and it was merely a delaying/get sympathy tactic!

I would recommend deposits, late fees too.

fedupofnamechanging · 13/02/2012 16:41

To be fair to the OP, I'd be mad if I wasn't paid on time, especially if the mum was talking about going out and spending money when she still owed me.

And she only phone tax credits because the mum asked her to.

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