Not to pay childminders travel expenses

[AdviceNeeded367]

Last summer, Childminder asked for an extra £10 per week to help pay for activities while she has DS.

In December, she demanded a 27% payrise.

Today she has demanded a 45p per mile travel expense.

AIBU to tell her a flat No?

In relation to the overnight / sleeping hours aspect others have alluded to the 2021 Mencap ruling -
"The Supreme Court Justices were unanimous in finding that the NMW Regulations clearly state that a worker who is permitted to sleep during a shift and is only required to respond to emergencies, is not entitled to be paid at NMW rates for every hour of that shift. In reaching their decision, the Supreme Court was guided by the recommendations of the Low Pay Commission, which the Government is bound to follow, and which have been consistently clear that sleep-in shifts should not attract NMW."

Would this not be the perfect time to put a contract in place? We've established she's on the payroll as an employee, so ball is now in your court. I would agree to the mileage allowance, and say you will review her pay in December.

I'm not clear on the frequency of the respite (so glad you have that!). "regular but not frequent" to me means that maybe the increase in costs for once a month(?) isn't that much to quibble over? I agree with a previous poster that said that good childminders/nannys are really hard to find,

£310 a weekend! You are getting a bargain.

We pay £14 per hour for SEN care so 48 hours is £672!

You are currently paying her £6:45 which isn't even NMW is it?

I'll take her OP

YABU.
she is a nanny not a childminder. She collects you child from you in her car to take him to her house over night all weekend. Yes you have to pay extra for increase in petrol and yes you have to pay her online with the rising cost of living. She is your employee you pay a wage to everything extra I.e travel ect you pick up.

With rising costs that seems perfectly reasonable to me. Parents should cover increased costs, not childminders. She’s not a charity.

A few months ago, I could half fill my tank for £30. That barely reaches 1/3 now. Her electricity bills will have increased to: don’t suppose many adults would have heating on all day if they weren’t caring for children.

You need to cover her increased costs.

Massively unreasonable if you think 310 is a lot for looking after a sen child for the weekend including 2 nights. As for people saying you can't charge for being asleep that isn't strictly true, throughout the night you are expected be on call as and when necessary, to not have had a drink, to be alert and able to respond to any situations you are considered on the clock and the pay is reflective of that. London fees are 150-160 per night with sen experience. So pretty much what you are paying however extras such as miles driven, places visited, some aspects of supplementary items would all be additional costs passed on to the parents. I don't think she's taking the p but ifs it's bothered you and you no longer want to use her then don't but be aware there are very few people willing to take on these sorts of roles so finding a replacement may be very difficult.

A childminder should charge an hourly rate. If they choose to take the children in their care on excursions, they cover the costs. If it's too expensive, they do something local. Different if you have specifically asked childminder to take DC somewhere.

@AdviceNeeded367

You’re right, it isn’t a huge amount, but the cost of living is going to continue to go up and it’s only a matter of time before she says that she has to be paid £20 an hour and I guess that I’m just annoyed that I have to adjust my household budget so that she doesn’t have to.

She doesn't have to adjust HER budget to look after YOUR child!

Bare in mind minimum wage increases on 1st April each year. The new rate will be £9.50ph if she’s over 23. Might as well factor that in now as well as the standard mileage. She can’t be replaced at the rates you are paying, don’t lose her.

Your taking the piss.

@cherish123

A childminder should charge an hourly rate. If they choose to take the children in their care on excursions, they cover the costs. If it's too expensive, they do something local. Different if you have specifically asked childminder to take DC somewhere.

The OP is employing a nanny, not using a self-employed childminder.

£310 for someone to be caring for your child
from
Friday to Sunday seems like a huge bargain to me

An employee asking for the HMRC rate of 45p to do things required as part of the job is not unreasonable. Assuming this is for an activity she takes child too. Not her travel to and from her place of work.

@AdviceNeeded367

She is only “an employee” as she does not want the faff of being self employed. I use a nanny tax service for wages slips, tax calcs, NICs etc

Which is another expense on top of everything else.

From everything you've said, she'd not meet the test for being self-employed.

@AdviceNeeded367

You’re right, it isn’t a huge amount, but the cost of living is going to continue to go up and it’s only a matter of time before she says that she has to be paid £20 an hour and I guess that I’m just annoyed that I have to adjust my household budget so that she doesn’t have to.

Such is life.

If you think you can get respite cheaper, where you son us happy... go for it.

You'll soon be back lamenting the lack of any childcare for children with SEN, let alone overnight.

Is 45p per mile seriously how much more petrol costs now??

It is presumably go cover all related costs including insurance, road tax, MOTs, maintenance, and wear and tear. As a mileage rate it's actually quite cheap - the official Inland Revenue rate has been at 45p per mile for several years despite the fact that petrol costs have more than trebled.

[quote DysmalRadius]www.gov.uk/night-working-hours[/quote]
If this person is working as an employee during the night as well as during the day, then they are working from Friday to Sunday straight with no breaks?

There are more issues to this than just the amount paid per hour and other expenses. This person is in a very dodgy working arrangement.

@Cameleongirl

I have no idea whether it’s a bargain for weekend respite care or not-the OP needs to do some research on this. I personally wouldn’t begrudge paying travel costs.

Different scenario as it’s for young adults not a child, but @yumscrumfatbum said this was typical for her area:

The flat rate for overnight respite in your own home is £60 for a 24 hour period. Expenses such as outings are billed for additionally. The £60 includes food and all utilities. Parents are expected to drop off and collect to and from the carers home. Petrol is billed if it is a journey taken specifically for the individual rather myself or my family

The OP pays about 2.5x that.

Shared Lives is a very different arrangement. From the NHS link:

The schemes do pay the self-employed shared lives carers but not by the hour. Carers, as well as their families and friends, contribute a lot that is unpaid.

You can say no if you want. She, however, can also say no to looking after your child.

The hourly rate you pay her is her wage and pays for her care of your child. In most other jobs, people can claim travel expenses in addition to their salary for business-related journeys, so I don’t really see why that should be any different for a childminder. And of course that would increase in line with the cost of fuel.

You are underpaying her surely. A sleep in rate if your son is staying overnight should be paid for for too. So she should be paid every hour he is there including the night

@AdviceNeeded367

I don’t agree that she’s got a shit deal as she’s always set the rate and the terms. The pay increase that she had in December, she explained, was a realistic hourly rate that she needed and wanted. Now that she’s asking for more money again only a couple of months later, I think is too much.

I think its too much she has your child for the WHOLE weekend for £300!!!!

Well I don't imagine she demanded a pay rise but rather put her rates up to meet the increased costs of running her business. Yes I think it's fair to ask for a petrol allowance unless she's using a car unnecessarily, like for school pick ups that are actually easy walking distance.

You can of course refuse but then you'll need to find a new child minder which might not be a bad thing as doesn't sound like you like or respect her very much.

Your biggest problem here though is that your arrangement is entirely illegal because I'm assuming she's not actually a registered and insured childminder but is caring for your own child in her home and receiving money for it. That isn't allowed

YABU…totally unreasonable. Your posts make you sound very entitled…especially the last one about having to adjust your budget so someone else doesn’t have to adjust theirs. I dare say the nanny picked up on your bad attitude which is why she was formal in specifying the price increase to cover her fuel.

The cost of living has gone up and petrol and diesel is crazy expensive….therefore your nanny’s cost base has gone up. As with other service providers your nanny now has to pass on the cost to the consumer(you). If you can get the same service for less money elsewhere( which I doubt) go ahead and do that.

As an employee it is reasonable to claim travel expenses