What have others done about paying their childminder’s fees?

[Thisgroupneverceasestoamazeme]

I’m feeling a bit awkward about it all. When they announced they had to close (including to key workers children, we’re both key workers but have supportive employers so have managed to WFH and tag team childcare) I asked about fees and was told that they’re asking that people who are on full pay continue to pay until they know how the government would be supporting self employed people. Didn’t hear anything so we paid full fees until the portal opened for people to apply for the self employment support, and then when we contacted the childminder about it she agreed for us to stop paying. I assumed we’d be refunded the difference once she’d received payment from the government or it would be offset against fees once they reopen this month. (We had a conversation from which I took away that this was the plan but when I messaged to confirm last week she said she didn’t remember the conversation) I’m happy to top up to make it up to full pay for her but I’m not happy at the thought of paying out well over a grand while we actually had to A) do the job we were still paying her for as well as work full time and B) pay out for more food and nappies when they were included in the fees, so we’ve essentially paid for them twice! We’re not massively high earners so childcare makes a pretty big dent in our income.

They’re nice people so I’m sure they’re not trying to rip us off but it does feel like a p*ss take. I had to bring it up when they closed, then again once the government started taking applications for the self employment support and now I’ve had to raise it again and she’s said she’ll get back to me. It’s making me feel like I’m being a money grabbing tight wad! I’m starting to wonder if maybe I am? I’m a first time mum and our child had only attended for 6 weeks when they closed so I’m not sure I’m maybe I’m being unreasonable or not!

Any thoughts?

Thank you! That’s the bit I keep telling myself; that I don’t need to feel bad about raising the fact she’s perfectly willing to take our money with no explanation as to why we’ve still been charged.

Paying a proportion of her earnings like that makes perfect sense. My maths is terrible so I couldn’t quite figure out how I’d work it out so thank you for explaining that to me

@TheTeenageYears (my last reply was to you btw!)

@sashagabadon yes, I had a conversation around the time the portal opened for self employed people to claim and made sure I asked her to let me know what the plan was. I took from her response that once she’s had her SEISS payment, the money we’d paid her until that point would be offset against future fees until we’ve essentially been refunded.

Not a child minder, but our nursery asked us to pay what we can and promised we would received anything they get back... we paid April in full... come may they had credited our account back with what we paid in April and haven’t had to pay anything until July when they went back!

That’s what I was expecting would happen for us too @overtherainbow88

That's bloody cheeky if she is charging all her clients AND claiming furlough?

Surely furlough was to help people who were losing their usual income?

I assume you pay her by standing order?
What do HMRC say?

In your financial position I would definitely be trying to get my money back and I wouldn't be paying her a penny until she has clarified the situation.
Can she start taking your dc yet? To help ease your burden?

@Thisgroupneverceasestoamazeme I obviously didn't factor the cap in my figures but you get the idea.

The other thing for everyone to keep in mind is that both the employed and self employed furlough scheme's have cost billions of pounds which will need to be paid back now and in years to come. Everyone will end up paying something towards the cost, probably via increased taxes so for those who think people who have been on full pay the whole time have been very 'lucky', they will still be paying their share of the cost in the future and have not got off scot free.