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?

@Helendee your posts are really antagonistic and aggressive.

It’s a stressful time for ALL.

If she's not going to receive money till June, she needs to come to arrangements with any lenders she owes. It's not Op responsibility to keep her afloat, especially if it means op is then pushed into financial difficulties.

At present I'm paying mine full fees. I am being paid in full so it seems the right thing to do. We have used her for 2 years and she has always been accommodating to us.

She has said if and when she starts getting an income (keyworker or government support) she will start apportioning bills. Again, seems fair.

If I wasn't getting paid I would be having discussions with her about what is fair in that scenario. I think talk to her and see what she is willing to do.

Zombie mum

Yes but not until June and UC takes up to six weeks so without requesting a retainer we would literally have nothing until then.

Eminado.

I disagree but thank you for your opinion.

If you are on furlough, receiving 80% of your wage for not working, would you be able to pay her 80% of what you normally pay (and not receiving a service)? That would seem fair to me.

Helen Dee what if the parents can't afford to do that ? I no longer need to use a childminder but I would never have been able to pay the full whack and pay my bills as well. If that childminder is fully paid till June then receives a back pay lump sum she'll have received her full income with a bonus payment arriving in June. How's that fair on the likes of Op ?

I feel very sad in the current situation. I have a lovely childminder and I'm a parent who always pays on time. To pay fees during a time when the service has been taken away from us through absolutely no fault on either side is unfair. Parents can't be expected to pay blindly through this period of uncertainty. The government should be there to assist the business, and a small retainer fee perhaps for a potential place at the end of this mess is only fair option. If both parents had lost their jobs last year a cm wouldn't be offering unlimited childcare out of moral obligation to the parents to help out in the interim. I feel immense pressure because I'm being told other parents are agreeing to pay half fees. It's a terrible state of affairs at the moment.

both parents had lost their jobs last year a cm wouldn't be offering unlimited childcare out of moral obligation to the parents to help out in the interim.

I don't see how this compares really, you even said it wasn't either parties fault in this case, so one side losing their jobs and the other not doing it for free isn't the same, because only one side is affected and is expecting the other to take the full brunt. Now it isn't the childminders fault that she has closed, but similarly it's not parents fault that they aren't sending their children in. If people are receiving full pay still then it seems fair to pay something, if you don't want to pay half then don't but I wouldn't expect your place to be open necessarily; if you can't then have a word with her, I'm sure you can come to an agreement.

I think it's cheeky to expect a space to be held open for your children if you aren't wanting to pay anything. If you're willing to pay a retainer fee which by the sounds of it from your replies you are, then I think that's fair. I'm a bit confused as to why she should expect full pay if she isn't going to be working, because even though she will have personal outgoings, her being closed down means she won't have business related outgoings from day to day childcare.

If I've misunderstood anything I apologise.

Zombiemum

That’s why I said only if the parents are still being paid.
I also said that I am only requesting a retainer of 20%.

I think it's cheeky to expect a space to be held open for your children if you aren't wanting to pay anything.

Under normal circumstances you’d be right, but this isn’t parents expecting a space to be “held open”. This is a case of the government making the spaces unavailable. It is not a case of the parents not wishing to use them for a period. If the business was open the parents would be using and paying for them. But they are being prevented from doing that. So no, it’s not cheeky. Their spaces should absolutely still be their spaces when the business is allowed to reopen.

Seems cheeky as she will no doubt also be claiming the SE 80% and/or benefits.