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View Full Version : Could really do with some urgent advice!!!



mummytotwo
05-06-2015, 10:23 AM
Basically because I was having some work done at home I decided to care for my current two mindees (siblings) in their own home until the work had been completed. I contacted my child development officer at our local council and was told that this would be fine but that I need to inform Ofsted. No problem, or so I thought.

But now my mindees parents have received letters from tax credits asking them to provide proof that they have been paying for childcare. So I've written them a letter which includes my registration number stating that I care for them for roughly xx hours per week and that they pay me around xx per month. I thought that this would be ok, however they've since received another 'badly worded' letter stating they still don't believe that they are paying for childcare, that they believe they have committed tax fraud and that if this is found to be the case they will be fined £1000 and have to repay their tax credits!!! :panic:

I don't understand!!! I'm a registered childminder, have been caring for the children since Sept 2014, I cant see whats wrong. I've now reprinted all of their invoices / proof of payment to show that they have in deed been paying me but I'm panicking now that me having them from home has caused the issue??? My development officer & Ofsted never mentioned that this would be the case!

Can anyone help? Thank you x

bunyip
05-06-2015, 10:59 AM
How long was the period of providing care in the clients' home?

If it wasn't long, then it shouldn't affect the average cost of childcare (which is what concerns TCs), even if they treated that as not being "registered provision"?

Is there more to it than that? Any evidence they might have made an excessive claim? You'll never really know, as their application is confidential and your only involvement is to respond as you have done to a request for receipts, etc.

Tbh, you'd done your job and that's the limit of your involvement. I would try not to worry or get involved any further.

Mouse
05-06-2015, 11:02 AM
Has the second letter come from an agent carrying out checks for HMRC? One of my parents received one and it does sound very threatening, something along the lines of "we believe you are claiming too much for your childcare costs, send us the following info, or else". It wanted contracts, invoices, receipts and an explanation of how the amount claimed was calculated.

I wrote her a letter showing payments week by week and what the contracted hours were. For the first few weeks the payments were £x amount so I put this was Tue-Thur, 8am-5pm, at £x per hour. I then wrote the payment dates at that amount. When the contract changed I put what the new hours were and what the fee was, the again listed the payments dates for that amount. If I was on holiday for a week I put that down as no fee due to my holiday.

Mum sent it all off with a copy of the latest contract and everything was fine.

I very much doubt the letter your parents has received has got anything to do with you working in their home. Your LA and Ofsted aren't involved in tax credit claims, so it's very unlikely to be connected to you working isomewhere different. How long did you work from their home?
I would get one of the parents to phone up while you are there and ask exactly what you need to provide as proof. Speak to the company yourself if you can.

moggy
05-06-2015, 11:19 AM
You have done all that is required. Do not get involved, it is a matter for the family and does not reflect on you at all- you have done nothing wrong.

Mouse
05-06-2015, 11:36 AM
You have done all that is required. Do not get involved, it is a matter for the family and does not reflect on you at all- you have done nothing wrong.

But if she does nothing more and the family can't provide the evidence they need, childcare may have to stop and she's lost her work.
I was more than happy to provide the info my mum needed as there's no other way she could have got it.

If the OP finds out that the info she has already given is sufficient, but there are other concerns that parents need to sort out, then butt out. But if it's still regarding proof of payments I would help.

mummytotwo
05-06-2015, 12:10 PM
Thank you so much for your replies!

Yes this does appear to be from an agent of some description who are working on behalf of HMRC. Mum was told during a conversation with them that they have been given targets to reduce the number of families claiming tax credits! This explains their ott letters. I haven't actually supplied details of my hourly rate or a breakdown of hours required (I might do this too).
You're right Mouse if they cant get this sorted then they wont be able to afford childcare : (

The period of care given in their own home was minimal (weeks) so hopefully that isn't the issue.
However after doing some digging I may have come across the 'potential' problem!! The mum of my mindees is actually my cousin!

Before taking them on I did a lot of research into this and found that there wasn't a problem with me caring for them. Under the childcare act a 'relative' where a child is concerned is classed as a parent, grandparent, aunt / uncle, brother / sister or step-parent. when I investigated this there was no mention of a cousin / 2nd cousin. So because i was registered and caring for them at my premises there should be no issue. I'm still not sure if this is in fact the problem but it's the only thing I can think of. Unless they have just been unlucky and been selected at random for checks so that they can get their numbers down?

I know for a fact that they would never knowingly claim too much.....in fact they had over-estimated her earnings.

I thought I had been very careful in making sure I wasn't doing anything wrong but nothing is clear cut or easy to understand : (

Mouse
05-06-2015, 12:38 PM
Don't think too deeply into it. It won't be anything to do with the few weeks you worked at her house, the fact that you are somehow related or anything you've done. - it's all just scare tactics used by this agent. Send them the info they need and that should be the end of it.

The letter my parent had was really quite threatening, telling her they suspected her of claiming too much for childcare, but she knew she'd done nothing wrong. Once she'd sent my letter it was all ok and they haven't bothered her since.

mummytotwo
05-06-2015, 12:44 PM
Thanks Mouse, it does appear to be the same type of thing happening here. This letter was very threatening too!

I'll send over all of the additional info (invoices etc) and will do a complete breakdown and hope that this will satisfy them :censored:

At 26 weeks pregnant I could really do without any added stress LOL.

Thanks again : ) x

Kiddleywinks
05-06-2015, 12:45 PM
As long as you can prove, if asked to, that you are or are willing to care for children that are not family members, then you are not breaking any rules.
I minded for my sister and she had to declare that, however I had another 5 or 6 children on my books that were not related so it was fine.

Is the investigative team 'Concentrix' by any chance?
If it is, yes, they are 'heavy handed', however, as there has been no wrong doing, just give them the information they require regarding hours and payments and forget about them.
You are a registered minder, the mum pays you for your childcare service, which you have provided (doesn't make any odds where!), and which mum has paid you for, job done.

mummytotwo
05-06-2015, 01:01 PM
I actually don't have any other mindees atm. I did have a baby that I cared for but that contract came to an end when I was already pregnant, I did advertise the space for a while but stopped because I wasn't getting any inquiries. I had to state that I was pregnant and would obviously be taking maternity leave at some stage, I think this put people off (understandably). But I don't have any problem with taking on other contracts (although I'll be finishing on 17th July for maternity).

I can't remember their name.....but that does ring a bell. They are brutal lol, poor mum is freaking out :(

Thanks a million ladies, you've put my mind at rest xx

Kiddleywinks
05-06-2015, 01:21 PM
Brutal is another polite word for them :laughing:

I seriously wouldn't worry - obviously providing there has been no wrong doing - and if I'm honest, it's about blooming time HMRC pulled their finger out and investigated childcare claims. How many times do we hear on here or via the FB page, of parents making false claims for childcare, particularly either by falsifying the actual amount they're claiming for or continuing to claim loooong after the child has left our care.

I'm not in favour of being paid direct - but I am definitely in favour of claims having to be verified. I dread to think how much money has been paid incorrectly :panic:

mummytotwo
05-06-2015, 01:44 PM
Yeah you're right, they do need to clamp down on it!!! Just scary when you've done everything by the book and then get these letter :panic: LOL

I actually heard of a childminder who had her registration number 'stolen' to put in a false claim! Crazy!!

Mouse
05-06-2015, 01:59 PM
Back in the "good old days" childcare providers had to complete the form saying how much parents paid. There were still instances of mis-claiming but I'm sure it was nowhere as bad as it is now.

hectors house
05-06-2015, 03:10 PM
Think that tax credits for childcare should be paid into a voucher company account like the employer schemes do - also think the same should apply for those claiming for housing benefit and then use the money for something else and don't pay their landlords.

Mouse
05-06-2015, 04:14 PM
This link has been posted on FB

People in need at risk of losing tax credits after being wrongly accused of cheating - Home News - UK - The Independent (http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/people-in-need-at-risk-of-losing-tax-credits-after-being-wrongly-accused-of-cheating-10060745.html)