Is this a reasonable request from childminder?

[evamumm]

So... I'm starting a new job soon (as an apprentice so £4.30 per hour, 37 hours per week). I have 3 children 8, 6 and 3. 3 year old is currently in nursery for free 15 hours. Older two children can attend breakfast club at school for free. Youngest would need 1 hour before school. And then after nursery my mum will collect him and can keep him until 2.30 when he would go the the childminder. So then all 3 children will be with childminder for after school care until around 4-4.30. I had arranged this with the childminder and all was fine until I mentioned in conversation a few days later that I will claim some of the childcare costs back through universal credit because of my low wage (I am also a single parent). A day after this conversation she has called me to say that this won't be enough hours for her and as universal credit will be paying my bill, can I just say she has then til 5 every day otherwise it's not worth her while. I explained I am paying the bill myself from my measly income and can let claim back SOME of the cost. She told me if that's the issue she can write me a receipt right now and get the claim in quick. I feel like this is a bit dodgy and it's really put me off. Is this a normal thing to pay for childcare I'm not even using? I just find it strange that she never mentioned this during our initial conversation about hours and prices but not sure if I'm being unreasonable in my expectations.

No not a reasonable request. I was a childminder for 27 years. I would never have asked a parent to commit benefit fraud to increase my earnings.

She’s trying to get you to commit fraud.
You can only claim for childcare costs actually used. You get up to 85% and have to pay the rest.
The money goes into your pocket and your pay her. She doesn’t have to claim anything like with the free hours.

I wouldn't be keen to trust my kids to someone who is openly attempting to get you to commit fraud!!

This sounds super sketchy to me too and awfully like she's asking you to commit fraud. I would reiterate a hard no and honestly would seriously reconsider whether she's someone you'd trust enough to have around your kids. Sorry you're being put in this position.

Very stressful but I would find someone else

Sounds very dodgy and actually fraudulent.
If she wants you to say they are with her until 5 then she needs to keep them until 5

She’s asking you to commit fraud with her.

I actually once had a childminder like this, she did some very fast talking when we were filling in paperwork and it wasn’t til I read it aftewards that I realised she was claiming government funding for 3 more hrs than she was working.

Fired her a couple of months later for being horrible to my child / sunbathing in the garden instead of looking after my child. The quality of care went downhill very quickly once we’d settled in (eg took dd to playground on the first day then never left house with her again).

Looking back, a lack of integrity re money is a massive warning they’re just not a good person, which can be a problem in many different ways. I’d find another childminder if you can.

Thank you everyone I knew it wasn't right, I just needed reassurance. I'll be looking for a more honest childminder.

It's normal-ish to have minimum hours, or charge for set sessions (eg. After school up to 5), but this should have been included in her pricing structure from the start. Changing the goal posts once your signed up and she found out your using benifits is fishy, and offering an invoice for before she started caring for your kids is fraud.

Not at all what your asking, but once you start work your 3 year old will be entitled to 30 hours free childcare (you mentioned your using 15 free hours, so wanted to make sure your aware). This can be split between setting, so you could stick to 15 at nursery and use the rest for the afterschool care (with a different childminder?)

@Sprogonthetyne

It's normal-ish to have minimum hours, or charge for set sessions (eg. After school up to 5), but this should have been included in her pricing structure from the start. Changing the goal posts once your signed up and she found out your using benifits is fishy, and offering an invoice for before she started caring for your kids is fraud.

Not at all what your asking, but once you start work your 3 year old will be entitled to 30 hours free childcare (you mentioned your using 15 free hours, so wanted to make sure your aware). This can be split between setting, so you could stick to 15 at nursery and use the rest for the afterschool care (with a different childminder?)

I'm not sure I'm entitled to the 30 hours because my wages will be too low. It's so complicated I'm just not sure.

I can kinda see where she is coming from

You are using 3 of her 6 spaces , possibly 2 if 8yr isn’t counted, but only for 2hrs or so

Cm cant fill 4/430-6 with any other children so low income fir her

Plus with uc you pay fir the childcare then You claim it back

Whoops hit post

But yes obv Illegal

£1853 over 3 months is the amount you need to earn to receive 30 hours.

I worked out you would get £1900 so just about scraped it.

Universal credit childcare is paid in arrears and only paid for what you use during the assessment period so if your assessment starts in the 15th and your childcare starts on the 30th first month in you will only get two weeks paid back if you put your receipt in at the right time and in the right format it's not the best

I agree with pp that set hours being paid even if not used is completely normal. For example, you pay a nursery for 8-6, even if you drop your child at 8:30am and pick them up at 5pm. That's not fraud.

But the fact that she never mentioned this before and then specifically asked you to lie and offered a false receipt etc. is completely unacceptable and I would find new care.

She’s trying to get you to commit fraud. That’s a huge red flag. I’d find a different childminder and report her to the local authority/OFSTED or whoever is in charge of childminders. That’s just not on.

@evamumm it sounds like she is under the assumption that it’s not going to cost you more as you will be claiming costs from UC.
She is obviously money orientated and not someone I would leave my child with. I’m a childminder and wouldn’t trust her