Late payment fees ............................................................

[doodlebop]

hello just wondering if i could get some advice from other cms. The little one i look after was off sick for a week. mum still pays as thats how we set up the contract. payment was due friday and mum didn't show up. have been getting text messages over the weekend to say that she has had to visit relative in hospital and that she will pay me first sat, then sun, now in the week. When we set up contract we added a 5 pound pd late payment charge but now i feel mean about asking for it. would you charge the extra or just let it go. hope that all makes sense

No I would charge it, because if you let it go this time, it makes it a lot harder the next time to enforce it.
I know the circumstances sound bad, but she could probably still have arranged to make the payment in some way.

thanks badgerhead will see what mum says when she arrives to pay