Paying family mmbers for childcare

[LyraSilvertongue]

Does anyone pay a family member to look after their DC? If so, how much do you pay? The going rate for a childminder or just a token sum?
I'm thinking of asking my mum to look after DC one day a week but I know she won't do it for nothing (she works ft and is considering cutting down her days so would want something for the day she's not working).
DC are 5 and 3 so it would involve picking DS2 up from morning nursery and DS1 after school.
Does anyone know what the going rate is for a childminder (I'm in SW London).
Thanks

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ny money you pay her will not be eligible for Tax credits or vouchers

Not in SW London but look on the CIS website & put in your postcose & it should give you some ideas

Thanks Katymac.
Anyone else?

Can you offer your mum the same amount as she would have got if she was at her work - thus then she is changing job rather than salary.

No idea on rates for SW London. Surrey/Berkshire border is average of £4.50 per hour, per child - though actual fees can vary a pound an hour either way.

Thanks Nannynick. I can't give her the same as she's getting now or it wouldn't be worth my while going to work. I don't know if she'd be expecting to be paid or not but thought I should offer her smoething, just not sure what. £4.50 an hour sounds reasonable.

You may need to be careful about National Minimum Wage, particularly if your mum wishes to be an Employee.

Think you need to ask your mum what she wants to be paid, as I don't feel you are able to plan anything until you know that amount.

i didnt think you were allowed to pay relatives, unless they registered, or have rules changed.
in which case my dm needs a lot of back payment

If you pay your rellies, they have to be registered.

If you are able to pay childminder rates, then I would suggest you find a childminder, and not burden your mother with childcare responsibilities. By using a Registered Childminder, if you get Childcare Element of WTC, then you can use that to help offset the cost. Also your employer may offer childcare vouchers, which can be used to pay Registered or Approved childcare providers, and save you a little money.

While your mum may be considering dropping a day at her work, she may have plans for that day (I know my mum did, when she went from 3 days down to 2 days).

InterGalactic - No, in England relatives do not need to be registered childminders to care for their grandchildren. see this thread

I think in many ways it's better to keep the 2 things seperate. If you employ a childminder then you can ask your mum to help out when she is ill or on holiday - what would you do if our mum goes away, wants a day out etc. Also I think it's hard to have a family minding your children if they then indulge them etc - they sort of have 2 hats on which can be tricky.

I don't think it's true that you're not allowed to pay a relative. I mean, who's to know?
Doesn't anyone have their children looked after by a relative and give them something for their trouble? Surely someone out there does?

Message withdrawn

Thanks for that link.
Tbh I see children all over where i live who are obviously being cared for by their grandparents while their parents work but i can't exactly march up to them and ask them how much they're being paid or if they're doing it for free.

I think about £5/6 an hour sounds about right, depending on local CM rates and cost of living where you are.

Ask your mum what she would be happy with.

I will.
She'll probably ask what I think is a reasonable amount though.

Hi
Before i started maternity leave i was working for 2.5 days a week. DS was with a childminder for 2 days and with my mum for the other half day. this was aflexible arrangement as i sometimes had to change the half day at short notice or work overtime and my mum would always cover this. I had an informal arrangement with mum in that i put £100 per month into her bank account by standing order to cover the childcare costs. This is a bit more than i pay my childminder which is £22 a day (and what a gem she is) but i figured that the ability to change days at short notice and cover overtime was valuable to me. Now i am on maternity leave (awaiting birth of DS2) i have not stopped sending DS1 to childminder but my mum no longer has him regularly but i know she will help when ds2 arrives and she regularly turns up at my house with a bag full of M&S food for my fridge and wont take any money for it.

This arrangement works for us as neither of us feels as though we are loosing out.

By the way - I live in North west and going rates may be more in the south.

Hope this helps.
A-M

£22 would get you 4 hours max where I live!

I pay retired MIL £7 an hour (cash) to days a week she collects DD aged 4 from school and looks after her until I get back at 7pm. I pay my mothers help £7 also but she doesn't have sole charge.
My mother who takes unpaid leave to look after DD is some school hols, gets abig bunch of flowers.

My mum has my DC's two days a week and she initially refused payment but she kept spending money on them when she was looking after them (entrance fees to parks and so on), so I insisted. I pay her the exact same amount that the local nursery charge for a single child for a full day (although in reality my mum has them for longer days, and looks after two of them). I do it by direct debit and it is never mentioned by either of us.
It hasn't stopped my mum from having them over for sleepovers or other special treats and she has always treated me the same with regard to the kids as she treated my brothers (who didn't pay her when she looked after their kids some years back).
I dare say that it doesn't work for all families, but it is great when it does work.