I'm a childminder. I looked after a child for a single mum on income support. She was doing the 15 hours free hours. She phoned to tell me she would be sending her daughter to the local school in 4 weeks time.
So I contacted the funding department to explain that I would no longer be having the child and the date that would start.
They got back to me and said they would only be able to pay the first week of the notice period and the rest would have to be paid for by the parent.
Even though the mum had given me a months notice, I didn't actually have her child at all during that month. The day she text to say she would be going to school in a months time, was the day she stopped coming to me as the Mum was visiting family for a month.
But I was still entitled to be paid for that month. It was also a compulsory notice period.
So I sent a very polite message to the Mum explaining that she would have a balance of £160 to pay as the funding department could only pay 1 weeks notice.
She said that was fine but would need to wait until her income support payment came in the next day and would then send me that. She would send the £60 the following week from her child tax credit.
I thought nothing of it.
I mentioned it in passing to my mother in law (who I get on very well with) and she said she couldn't believe I made her pay £160 when I never even looked after her child for that notice period month and that seeing as my husband and I have a joint income of 40k we could have easily afford to let her off with the £160 which was a lot for a single mum on income support.
I never considered I was doing anything wrong. I'm entitled to be paid for that month and there's a notice period for a reason.
I really like the girls mum and we always had a great relationship when her daughter was with me. She's been with me from before she was 1 as her mum was finishing university.
What do you think. Was I unreasonable to ask for the money?
She's on benefits but qualified in a professional job and job hunting. So does have options.