AIBU to not want to pay nursery lunch fees rn

[starrain]

Hi all

Bit of background. My 4year old DD was in private nursery 4 days 9-4pm. She gets 30 hours. We pay £22.5 a week for lunch and tea- this was all prior to covid.

The nursery has since reopened yesterday and we are not sending her back (maybe in a few weeks time) but they are still claiming the 30 hours....AND charging us £22.50 a week.

I spoke to her today and said why are we paying for lunches when she isnt there. She said because it's not just lunches, its resources too. Ok what resources only 3 kids have gone back in the whole nursery. Also, isnt that what the 30 hours money covers??

DD is going reception in september so we dont even need to keep our place here. I didnt want to leave on a bad note and actually would have liked to have sent her maybe 2 days a week.
Could we give notice and leave and not pay the £22.5 a week? What are our rights.

[CaveMum]

Even if there are staff furloughed the nursery still have overheads to cover - rent, utilities, pension contributions for staff, etc. Our nursery asked all parents to pay fees for April if they were able to, even though the nursery was closed to all but key workers, because there was a real chance they’d go bust if they didn’t have that income to keep them ticking over while they sorted out government support etc. We then didn’t have to pay anything until the nursery reopened to all children this week.

[heartsonacake]

Yeah, since it’s you choosing not to send her you either need to pay or give notice to take her out.

[starrain]

Hi everyone

Thanks for the advice I just wanted to make sure they weren't taking the p. And its us who are not sending her, they are happy to accept her.
Suppose it's just down to us now, either we send her in a few weeks or give notice. That's another topic!

[Looneytune253]

Nurseries that claim funding can't also claim furlough so they are likely to be at a loss. Finding puts then at a huge loss anyway so that's why nurseries add charges as they're usually not even breaking even with funding:

[OnlyFoolsnMothers]

So OP you pay the subsidy when you go on holiday? If so, what’s the difference now? The space is there you are choosing not to
Use it

[bubblev]

yes it varies by location so the max will be £6 something in London

[SandieCheeks]

Where I am it’s £4 an hour funding.

[bubblev]

I think the maximum a setting can claim per hour per child is £6.30 & remember they don't have to offer 30 hours, it's optional.

[bubblev]

What hours is your dd doing? Remember staff have to be there before & after dc have arrived/left & the funding often doesn't cover those hours.

[StatisticallyChallenged]

Just to point out - they can't claim full furlough and the 30 hours funding. Nurseries can only claim furlough in line with the proportion of their income which does not come from the govt already. Just worth highlighting as it means their costs aren't reduced as much as you would think

[caringcarer]

When my dgs went to nursery and got free 30 hours my dd still had to pay as it turned out it was 30 hours at a cheap rate so only covered 20 hours at his nursery. My dd paid the top up and paid extra £6 per day for lunches and a fruit snack too.

I think you will have to look at your contract op and do whatever you have signed up to or give notice.

[heartsonacake]

You haven’t answered the questions, OP. Are you choosing not to send her or won’t they take her?

And no, even with only a small number of staff and kids the 30 hours won’t be anywhere near enough.

[ChaChaChinggg2819]

And i dont mean if your child refuses dinner on the day then you don't pay

[ChaChaChinggg2819]

Id not want to pay for lunches that my child wasnt eating. Do they have an option for packed lunches? ( only asking as at my nursery if you didn't want to pay nursery fees you had the option to bring your own packed lunch )

As far as I'm aware if your child isnt eating lunch then you don't pay for it

[Sugartitss]

I think that’s taking the biscuit op

[OwlinaTree]

You get 4 days a week child care for £22.50? That's not even £1 an hour. I think you are being extremely tight.

[starrain]

I totally understand that fees need to be paid to keep her place, like we used to do when we would go on holiday.

My gripe here is that surely when theres only 3 kids attending in the WHOLE nursery, only a couple of staff (the rest are probably furloughed) surely they dont need the extra £22.50 when the 30 hours can more than cover it. We have always been told the 22.5 was for lunches. But shes not in, so what's the need. Will probably end up giving our notice anyway, but just thought surely they didnt need the lunch fee/resource fee when she isnt there and neither are many other kids.

[SandieCheeks]

Nurseries need to charge something for lunches or resources to make up the loss on the 30 hour funding.

If you're not going to send her back, give notice and just pay what you're contracted to, probably 4 weeks.

[C152H]

You need to check the contract you have with your nursery. If they accept Government funding, they must give parents the option of providing a packed lunch (rather than paying for the nursery lunch), but you'll have to double-check how much notice, if any, you need to give to cancel the nursery-provided lunch provision.

[Tumbleweed101]

As nurseries are struggling to stay open right now if you can't pay then you can't expect them to hold her place if they have someone who will.

[Stuckforthefourthtime]

The 30 hours funding is infamous for not actually being enough to cover nursery costs, so I can see why in a situation where your space is available and you are choosing not to take it up, they are still asking for payment.

This.

[donquixotedelamancha]

We pay about £2.50 per day for lunches and snacks, because that is what it's actually for. Charging top-up fees on top of the 30 hours is not lawful - you can only be charged for optional extras like food or swimming lessons; which you clearly won't be using.

I think you would be potty to pay for a sevice you haven't used.

[Thehop]

I work in a private nursery. We’re tiny, only 30 places and we will stop taking children at 3 who come just to use the 30 hours from September. It costs us a bloody fortune. We started charging sundry fees last year but it’s not compulsory and £22.50 is ridiculously cheap per week. We apply a charge of £2 per hour not including meals. (Were underfunded by £3 an hour per head)

If you want her place, tell them you’ll pay the fees for 2 days. (£9 pw) or give notice to leave.

[Blossom513]

My two year old is funded 15 hours (DLA related) and his nursery give parents of funded children the option to pay for meals or bring a packed lunch, is this not an option at yours? I actually send in a packed lunch as £4 a day was too expensive for a meal he actually won't even eat either.

[nightchat]

Government 20 and 30 hours funded nursery does not cover the fees for example nursery day costs 50 a day the government pay 30 ( not exact amounts) so nursery's are forced to charge what they normally say is lunch and resources but in reality its that plus wages rent ect if they did not charge this they would go bust like many nursery's in poor areas as funded children out weigh full fee paying parents. Blame the government not nursery's