Nursery fees during shutdown

[Random63638]

Please can you share what you have been asked to pay so I know if AIBU?

I'm a self employed trainer in a specialist industry, no-one can commit to using me now and all my work is cancelled. I have savings to get by for now, but just barely. No support announced by government as yet for self employed.

Nursery for DD want 50% fees during shutdown. DD is 2 so no free hours. I thought they were getting 80% of staff salary paid, no business rates and VAT holiday? What am I paying for?! Is there any guarantees they will reopen? What if this goes in longer and they walk away?

I can't afford it, I have no income. What can I do?

Please excuse typos, you know what I mean hopefully!

You could pull her out. It's really the only way to get out of it, then just try to re-enroll when they open again? That will depend on how long their list usually is though and how happy you are with them usually.

She shouldn't be at nursery

My nursery have suspended fees but I would have been prepared to keep paying them. I love DS's nursery and want it there when this madness ends.

I've offered to carry on paying for as long as I'm not financially impacted said like them to still be in business when this is over. It's a difficult one tbh OP and I sympathise with your position. While 80% wages are covered there are still other unavoidable expenses for them. Mine is asking parents to support if they can and talk to them if they can't which seems a sensible approach.

We have been asked to pay full fees. I have emailed to ask if they will reconsider in light of the grants available from the government but I’ve not had a reply yet. We’ll be able to pay for a month or two but we may just have to lose the place if it goes on until September.

Pay the 50% and put in your notice so she leaves after X days.

Yabu because they do not get 80% wages paid. That is only for companies which have had to shut down meaning the employees can’t work. The 80% is given to workers who are not working but the firm is keeping them on the books so they don’t become unemployed.

Your nursery will not be getting 80% wages paid for by the government as the nursery staff are still working.

So many people have misunderstood this 80% pay thing.

I feel extremely lucky reading your op and some of these replies. We've been asked to pay April fees as the invoice has been issued, but if finances won't allow it, they understand, beyond that they have said they don't want anything and we will still have ds space when we're all back to normal (if that happens)

Ours asked for full fees originally, then said a % would be fine when everyone locked up a fuss about it but since the update on Friday saying the government will pay 80% of salaries they have now said we aren’t expected to pay anything.

To be clear DD is sat at home on my knee, not in nursery because it's shut. I'm not an essential worker, I'm not an anything worker

None of this support currently exists. Businesses need to pay their bills now, not in however many months this all takes to be operational.
They also still have their fixed costs.

Have you phoned them to discuss it @Random63638 - maybe they can make a special case for you? I hope got announces help for self employed today, fingers crossed.

Personally think the nurseries charging any percentage of fees should be sending a statement justifying how they arrived at that figure, given the govt help they are getting.

YABU and ignorant.

If you can’t afford to pay, pull her out.

so sorry @Random63638, I completely misunderstood. Apologies

Please people read the government website. The employee must not be working to receive the 80% wage grant.
www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-to-employers-and-businesses-about-covid-19/covid-19-guidance-for-employees

@OpticVA
I think your nursery has got the wrong end of the stick.

Ours have asked for full fees for the duration. As well as the help above they have the early years funding continuing even for those children who are not going and they obviously save a bit on some costs like food and consumables so I think asking for 100pc is a bit cheeky. I'm happy to pay something but not full fees and I'm sure most people wont be able to afford it at the moment as working from home with a child small enough to be in nursery is impossible

And despite having essential worker parents they decided to close, it's a small setting, I appreciate they can't stay open for 2 children. But I haven't misunderstood. They are closed.

We’ve been told not to pay

We have been asked to pay everything, which is fine for now but not for the next 6 months. Fees over £1k per month.

Messaging is very mixed from ours. Originally asked us to pay full fees, now saying "pay what you can afford". I'm hoping they work through the assistance they can get from the government and come out with a reasonable figure. We pay £1500/month and really can't afford to keep paying that indefinitely for no actual service.

@cinammonbuns our nursery has closed so the employees aren’t working.

I obviously need to look in the bright side that I haven't been asked for the full amount.
It seems so inconsistent. I feel like I'm expected to keep someone else's business going when mine had been decimated. I agree with pp about a statement explaining what they are asking for and why. I would feel more comfortable with some justification, and confirmation that staff are being paid.
But ultimately if I can't afford it I can't pay, and if I can't get DD in anywhere when this is all over it's going to be harder getting back to work. Physically healthy but financially screwed. Thanks Corona.

We are not being charged by our nursery . You should pull her and not pay for all the reasons you said. This is not for 14-30 days. It's indefinite. I don't think they have a legal leg to stand on to continue charging. You are right. They might not reopen after all this is said and done.