nursery refund covid self isolation

[moomoo22]

Someone at my DD's nursery tested positive so we all have to self isolate. Nursery said they will refund for the isolation period. DD is part time so only goes 3 days and we paid a daily fee of £50. Expected a £150 refund but they only gave £57 back saying they calculate the monthly fee (not daily) divided by 31 days. This is wrong on so many levels and they just refuse to see reason. Has anyone had issues similar to this?

I think it’s phenomenal that they are giving you anything back at all and the only possible response here is “that’s amazing, thank you so much”

@PotteringAlong

I think it’s phenomenal that they are giving you anything back at all and the only possible response here is “that’s amazing, thank you so much”

Our nursery has told us they are legally not able to charge for periods of self isolation.

Do the still have to pay staff who have to isolate? TBH that would be my main concern. Nursery staff are woefully underpaid and they shouldn’t be penalised for just doing their job.

not really looking for a debate on other issues. Helpful comments on the actual question would be appreciated.

thank you @kirinm. very useful information

@Wigglegiggle0520 My friend works at a nursery and when they are sent home due to covid they are paid SSP only.

Sly manoeuvre by them! If it’s that above board when they didn’t they make clear from the off you would only get about a third back?

I think it depends whether you want nursery to still be there when we come out the other side because, whether you want a debate or not, the reality is that, if people don’t pay their fees, nursery can’t pay their bills and they will go bankrupt.

Now, if that £93 difference is going to break you then yes, keep arguing the toss. But if it isn’t, then now is probably the time to let it go.

Have they not issued you 'covid' t's & c's?

Ours sent some out in the summer and if nursery is closed due to positive case (child or staff), 75% of fees are due.

There aren't really any other suitable options for us so it's a case of losing DC's place or sucking it up and paying it.

They haven’t sent any but told me a full refund will be issued. The issue here is they are not calculating it correctly

Without the terms and conditions you can't say and neither can we if they've calculated it correctly or not.

What does your contract say?

Our nursery calculate the daily fee across the year and number of days and divide by 12 to get to a monthly rate so makes sense that they would do refunds on similar terms.

I’m amazed you’re getting anything back-well done. We just did 10 days isolation and did not get a refund. We also had to pay 50% fees during the first major lockdown when nursery was shut to ensure it existed when we needed it again.

Why are they dividing by 31 days? Surely they're not open on weekends? So at worst they should be dividing by the number of working days, and at best they should just refund what you've paid. Government guidance is that they should refund

This is the link for the above in case you want to discuss it with nursery

www.gov.uk/government/publications/nursery-and-early-years-sector-covid-19-restrictions-and-consumer-law/nursery-and-early-years-sector-covid-19-restrictions-and-consumer-law-advice

They haven’t sent any but told me a full refund will be issued. The issue here is they are not calculating it correctly

Do you pay a set amount each month, or do you pay for what you’ve used (ie, more in January, less on Feb, that kind of thing?)?

If it’s the former then I think you’re wrong. If it’s the latter then they’re wrong.

@justchecking1

Why are they dividing by 31 days? Surely they're not open on weekends? So at worst they should be dividing by the number of working days, and at best they should just refund what you've paid. Government guidance is that they should refund

Thank you. I agree that they should not be dividing by 31 days as they do not provide a service at weekends. It's annoying that they are not regulated and can do what they want. We all work hard for the money we pay them also. Some people seem to forget that. I'm a nurse, not earning much, and things like this add on to an already stressful daily life.

"Our nursery has told us they are legally not able to charge for periods of self isolation."

That's not quite true. The nursery can charge a small amount to cover expenses. They should not be charging in excess of those expenses.

Having said that, it does sound as though this nursery has miscalculated.

Nurseries can’t charge for periods of self isolation.

We’ve been refunded each time a kid has needed to self isolate