Self employed cleaner only going back to clients who have continued to pay/support.

[shonapop]

Seriously considering ditching the people who didn't give a toss. Anyone out there the same?

I'm on the fence on this one, but if it makes you feel better why not just increase your rates for anyone who hasn't paid (and you know is financially unaffected). Makes your money up and rewards those who did pay. If they don't want to pay the increase, they're gone.

I'm self employed - none of my clients have offered to pay me, because I'm not providing them a service. I can't imagine asking them to. I'm not a charity, I'm a business.

But if you werent providing a service why would they pay you?

I wouldn't be picky at this stage- we don't know what the economic impact of this is going to be, so if someone's a reliable client who pays on time I wouldn't be cutting my nose off to spite my face. You may in fact find even the clients who have been paying may be reconsidering if they can warrant the expense of a cleaner longer term.

Our window cleaner and lawn man both text at the start of the lockdown and said they wouldn't be attending for the foreseeable. They started again last week, and there was no indication in our exchanges then that they'd expected payment when not working.

Why weren't you claiming the furlough payments?

Too many variables here.....

I wondered if I should pay the cleaner or not but in the end decided not to. I decided this because we had literally just decided to get a cleaner and she had been maybe 3 times. If she had been cleaning for us a long time I would have offered to pay without any hesitation, at least some of it.

I hope she will come back as she was lovely and did a good job but if she decided not to I will just have to find someone else.

I dont think you're being fair here. Many people have lost their income too.

Those of you who haven't paid your cleaner because of a drop in income have you had a dialogue? Some of mine have said how sorry they are but are facing financial uncertainty. Its completely understandable. A few offered to pay which was lovely.
However some just haven't said a word at all. Its those who I am rethinking and its not borne of any frustration or anger. Its a really shit time for all of us. I'm just prioritising those who showed their concern. That is all.

You want to paid for not doing anything? By people who are working round the clock to hang on to their jobs, whilst having their own incomes slashed? Is this in addition to the government self-employment support, or have you not declared your income? Btw I have paid my cleaner, I think the world of her, but your attitude kind of offends me.

I'm not suffering financially, and she's a good cleaner, so it felt like the right thing to do

That's great but it's not everyones situation right now.

How would you feel if you were struggling financially and so rather than pay for a service you weren't actually getting, you prioritized keeping your own bills paid and family fed and then had it made out by your self employed cleaner that you were an arsehole for doing that?

I'm sorry but if you're self employed it's your responsibility to ensure your wage is paid. If you aren't providing someone with a service, for whatever reason, it's not wrong for that person to not pay you imo. I understand its a nice thing to do but I wouldn't blame someone for not doing.

Go for it! Just please then don’t claim benefits as you can’t afford to live as I’m sure cleaning jobs won’t be as plentiful for the next few months.

There's self employment furlough anyway - so if you're not claiming that I presume you've been fiddling your taxes?

DH is a SE gardener and has continued all his jobs except one, where they are still working, but at home, and said they'd be bored, so would do the garden themselves. He's not in a hurry to go back, but everyone else has been happy to have him continue.

Do what you like. You don't know if they had the money coming in and maybe they pay for a service rendered. You're not a charitable institution and it is considerably easier to find a cleaner than clients.

Also, if you do go back and stalk about like a duck in thunder you will find yourself without a choice anyway. Two minutes on Google and they'll probably have sourced someone with a better attitude who is pleasant to have in the home.

Just to be clear. The self employment grant hasn't been paid yet. I am self employed and have had no income since March. Apparently you can claim from tomorrow but it won't be paid for a little while. I do self assess and pay both income tax and national insurance.
I will never work for the clients who have fucked me over by not paying me for work already done. People have no idea how the vast majority of self employed people are really struggling.

It’s up to you. However as a SE person (sometimes paye) I only got paid if I worked. I’d have been crazy to hold a grudge against clients who didn’t pay when I wasn’t working.

But it’s your choice who your clients are so go for it. They’ll get someone else.

I haven't been paying my cleaner. She continued coming until lockdown when she messaged me that she wouldn't come for the time being. I could barely afford her anyway, but working full time out of the house I felt like having a cleaner was a necessity for my sanity so I sacrificed other luxuries to keep a cleaner. She has previously asked me not to pay her through online transfer (which I used to do occasionally when I didn't have the cash in my purse to leave for her). She put up her rates last year when she knew I'd just lost my job. I've kept her on despite all that because I'd rather keep a cleaner I trust to be in the house alone, but as she hasn't helped me in the past, I don't need stretch myself financially to help her now. I would be happy for her to come back, but if she decides not to, it won't be difficult to find someone else

I will never work for the clients who have fucked me over by not paying me for work already done

Not paying you for work already done is entirely different to not paying you for future work which you cannot actually carry out.

SE don’t get furlough but they do get the scheme which works off tax paid in last three years. Are you eligible op

Has the OP had no income for the period ? I very much doubt it

Aren't you getting money from the self employed schemes?

My dsis is a cleaner and not one of her clients have paid her. She also can't get govt support as only started this year.
Support for the self employed is pretty crap compared to furlough.

There has been a very generous self employed income replacement scheme. Why can’t you claim?

Why should your clients pay you when you haven’t gone to work? I really don’t understand the “shaming” of those not paying childminders or cleaners - they’re self employed and have been provided with a generous income replacement scheme. Why should they be paid for services they’re not providing? If they are, why not others? Why not pay hairdressers, tutors, lawyers, etc for services they haven’t been able to provide?

Before anyone starts nastiness at me I have paid my cleaner a portion of her salary but I volunteered and I see no reason I should be obliged.

Op, I think you need to differentiate between those who could have paid you and those who lost income and couldn’t afford you. I’m guessing you’ll have a rough idea of which is which.

Personally I continued to pay my cleaner as my income didn’t drop, and she relies on the money, she clearly doesn’t do it because she just loves it. Few people work for th joy of it.

I like her so I was not going to fuck her over if I could avoid it and see her struggling as she would have had no money coming in. She’s been with me six years and I trust her implicitly.

I can understand if you have a long term client who you knew could afford it and didn’t pay, also knowing you’d have no money coming in, why you’d want to tell them to get stuffed, but I think for those financially struggling it’s different.

Also be sure to find new clients before you ditch old ones.