Childminder Cheeky or??

[Ideasplease123]

So childminder has informed all the mums who use her several weeks ago that she would expect full pay should the schools close to keep our chikdrens spaces open, obviously the schools have closed which means she has to also 'close' apart from looking after keyworkers children.

I am trying to speak to universal credits who pay 85% towards the childcare bill but I imagine they won't pay me for childcare to give to the childminder as she isn't allowed to look after children at the moment so why would they pay for no service being given?!

I've been waiting for the childminder to message us to actually say ''no problem, as I cannot look after your children I am entitled to sick pay or as since been updated 80%'' but no she messaged today to say that as she can't get any payments until June from the government and universal credits would not pay her enough to continue her business for when we would eventually want her again??

AIBU that while it is rubbish for her it's not actually my fault and if universal credits don't pay me to pass the payment onto her seeing as she is not supposed to be working then I would have to pay her out of my own 80% wage to keep a space open that can't even be taken as she cannot look after children anyway.

Thoughts?

@JuanSheetIsPlenty

Yes I agree with all the questions you've asked, exactly my point! She is a really lovely lady so I feel I am being strong and harsh but she said universal credits would not pay her enough to be able to maintain her business so that this will still be available to us when we return :/ it's not really my place to keep the business going when she isn't allowed to look after children anyway, there's being nice and then there's also being a mug, even if I could afford it I'm not going to throw money away just to be nice, this is why the government are paying in June, yes its rubbish for self employed people but I can't be expected to pay because the government won't pay early. Its like hairdressers saying they are closed but I'm going to charge you for regular 6 week root touch up because I'm not getting paid. If universal do pay it as stated on some comments then sort of fine even though I would still have to cover the 15% for no service being provided (I know it's not much but we all have to be careful, my wage is being dropped too) but if it was straight out my pocket then I can't afford that. Furlough is when you won't be getting paid due to not being able to work so I don't think she can claim for that aswel as still get paid from me. God I sound awful! I actually feel guilty talking like this! It will get sorted in the end

so that this will still be available to us when we return

I’m coming from a position of ignorance but what does she mean by this? She can’t have very high costs to pay while closer other than her insurance? Which is, i think, paid annually so she should already be covered for this period unless her insurance is due soon. if It is due to be paid soon she can ask all clients who wish to retain her services to pay and equal split of that cost to be deducted from the first months childcare bill when she reopens. Any who don’t pay can be considered off her books and not be given a place when she opens.

If she's taking money from you at the same rate as she would if their was no pandemic, then she doesn't need to be Furloughed. If she is taking the 80% from government funds then she is not allowed to continue working and, therefore, cannot charge you.

As I understand it, self-employed workers will get the 80% in June, backdated, so she may have a cashflow problem and I'm not sure whether there is any help until then. Technically, it's not your problem but having said that, might you be able to over her 50% to tide her over as a retainer and deposit for when she resumes?

You realise that self employed people cant claim the 80% of their average wage until JUNE.

That's over 8 weeks to wait with no income which may mean for quite a lot of self employed individuals there business may fold and they may have to seek alternative employment simply to be able to pay their bills, car and mortgage until then (and often their Bill's are higher as they have a larger house/car/insurance then they would otherwise.

If Universal credit are continuing to pay the childcare elemental, then it’s only fair you continue to pay her. Surely uc will ask for proof that you continued to pay her and they will ask for it back from you if you don’t pay her

I actually think childminders and anyone else not providing any service at all have a cheek asking for full pay. A small retainer possibly but you wouldn’t expect them to look after your child for free for potentially months if you couldn’t afford to pay.

That's over 8 weeks to wait with no income

I’ve had to apply for universal credit. Why can’t she do the same?

You are all forgetting that we (childminders) can easily replace current children, should we wish to, by taking on the children of key workers. If current parents wish to come back when the time is appropriate it is only fair that they pay a token to retain their place if they can afford to do so.

My CM has a standard contract where if she has to close then no fees are to be paid by the parents.

I’m a key worker so the DC are still going anyway, but if they weren’t I’d be happy to pay a retainer given the circumstances but absolutely wouldn’t be paying full fees.

She can’t expect all the nice bits of being self employed (setting her own hours, choosing her own holidays and being her own boss) while still expecting the benefits of being PAYE when there’s an economic downturn.

Until you know whether or not tax credits will give you your normal childcare money or not, it probably isn’t worth stressing about too much.

Is the problem that the childminder can’t claim the government money because she can’t completely close without letting down the key worker children? Meaning that she either has to charge you, find new children and take away your space, or close?

Im not sure we all know enough about how the new system is going to work to be able to judge whether your childminder is being cheeky or not?

You are all forgetting that we (childminders) can easily replace current children, should we wish to, by taking on the children of key workers

That’s such a sinister threat to your clients. “Pay up or no space when you go back to work”

I could fill all my cleaning slots twice over if I wanted to. But I wouldn’t dream of threatening to drop my current ones if they don’t pay me for months of no service. And I’m taking no income. (One has offered to pay and I’ve declined) It’s a really disgusting way to run a business and anyone who does it deserves to lose their full list.

You are all forgetting that we (childminders) can easily replace current children, should we wish to, by taking on the children of key workers

That's by no means true for everywhere.

In our area, the local school is open for keyworker children and has less than 20 kids total and empty spaces. Childminders don't even get a look in unless they were lucky enough to already have children of keyworkers who have remained with them.

Full fees definitely shouldn’t be charged but I would hate to think that the person whom I trusted enough to care for my precious child was being left in such a vulnerable position through no fault of their own and would gladly contribute a little financially to secure my place.

Not the case for me, I have been inundated with enquiries and could replace my current children threefold should I choose to, however I remain loyal to my current families.

My child’s nursery have closed to key workers children. They still want 100% fees. For funded places this includes the daily food charge (even though they are closed). They have said they already know their insurance won’t pay out.
It’s so tough because if this was 3 weeks and then they were back, I’d pay it “to keep his place” but it could be 3 or 6 months....
Doesn’t seem very fair to me.

Juan
If parents value their childminders so little that they don’t feel obliged to pay a small percentage to help out whilst the childminder has had their income stopped overnight, and if they are fortunate enough to still be paid themselves, they don’t deserve to have a space to come back to.

No, no, Hang on a minute helendee, we’re not talking about what parents do or don’t do. We’re talking about you, a childminder, threatening clients with dropping their childcare space if they don’t pay. That’s YOU demanding the payment- regardless of whether they would be happy to pay it anyway.

I don’t know where you have got the idea from that anyone is being threatened.
I merely requested a retainer of 20 percent to hold a space for three months and all parents agreed without exception. Some offered more which I turned down.
However, if someone had refused and I knew they could afford to pay the small amount in question I would have no hesitation in talking to them about it and explaining that I would need to fill their child’s space. It’s called running a business.
I assume you are in the fortunate position of having other income to fall back on?
My DH works with me and this is our only income so forgive me for wanting to protect it!

There is an absolute world of difference between

“Dear client, I have some costs that I must continue to pay while closed in order to be operational once the current crisis has ended, are you in a position to pay anything towards these costs?”

And

“You know I can replace your child very easily.”

One is a professional request for support from your customers. The other is a nasty threat to scare them into paying you. If I sent the second to my clients I’d expect that to spread through the area in no time and have no clients to work for by the time this is all over.

But it’s only in your head that I said that to the parents.
You must think I’m rather dense if that’s how you imagine I operate.
I have been in business, very successfully for almost thirty years so I’m doing something right.
I’m not sure why you choose to use aggressive language and tone.

Don't they have to bill everyone whether they are paying or not, for proof of loss of earning?

My CM is going to claim 80% from
Government for period that she’s been closed

Still1inlove....i asked this exact question today to tax credits.
They said if I am not paying the childminder or the playgroup then I will be liable for the overpayment.
Makes sense.
I was going to cancel my contracts with childminder and playgroup as i dont expect them to open for a while and my dc starts full time school in September.
I feel bad cancelling but I have lost all my income and partner is down to 80%.
So hard to know what to do at this time.

I merely requested a retainer of 20 percent to hold a space for three months

So what’s all this about?

“You are all forgetting that we (childminders) can easily replace current children, should we wish to, by taking on the children of key workers”

What was your intention by reminding us all here of that?

I assume you are in the fortunate position of having other income to fall back on?

You assume wrong. Read my earlier post! I am entirely without income. (Actually I have £34:40/ week child benefit) I have applied for universal credit and will hopefully receive that at the end of April. I have no partner. Two children. My wage, and £34.40 child benefit was all I had.

I’m not sure why you choose to use aggressive language and tone.

Interesting.

“You are all forgetting that we (childminders) can easily replace current children, should we wish to, by taking on the children of key workers”