What would you have done?

[ma7ie]

On Friday I had an interview with a woman who wanted care for her 2yr old son for 27 hours a week. Everything went great until the subject of money came up. She told me she was a single parent and until she had sorted her tax credits out, she wouldn't be able to pay me, but once sorted she could back date the money (it could take up to a month apparently).

Anyway I told her that unfortunately I was not able to do this and would need her to pay upfront on the monday morning for that weeks care.

As I expected, she hasn't been in touch since.

Do you think I was a bit hard on her? How do I know that she wasn't trying it on with me though?

What would you have done?

Feeling c**p because I could have done with the money.:(

Marie x

[Trouble]

i think i would have done the same as you, or even asked her for half the money up front, we all learn by are mistakes its how we grow and learn.

[sarah707]

You did the right thing! She wouldn't work without being paid and neither should you! :D

[ma7ie]

Well that's what my hubby said (or words to that effect).

I know he would have gone mad if I had said yes.

Marie x

[charleyfarley]

You definately did the right thing.

I was soft with an ex parent a couple of years ago and would never do it again no matter what sob story they told me.

She became a single parent and I let her pay me late till she got sorted.
Trouble was she never got sorted and I was moving house out of the area.
With her still owing me money.

I did get my money, not off her though her sister paid it me

Hence the reason why I now have a late payment fee in place

She may still be in touch with you, you never know

Carol xx

[deeb66]

I also believe that you have done the right thing.

I have heard of so many cases where parent and childminder have agreed on this but the minder ends up sorry because the parent still doesn't pay!

They wouldn't work without money..........why should you!

[ajs]

you could ring her and ask if there is a way that it can be sorted without you working for no money

[LittleMissSparkles]

I was told claims are sorted quite quickly now unless parents give wrong info ! I think you did the right thing starting off not been paid cant be a good thing xxxx

[angeldelight]

You did the right thing

I have had parents that have waited a week or two for their money but some have waited 4 weeks

All have still paid me though

So yes you def did the right thing

Angel xx

[tulip0803]

You definately did the right thing.

I was soft with an ex parent a couple of years ago and would never do it again no matter what sob story they told me.

She became a single parent and I let her pay me late till she got sorted.
Trouble was she never got sorted and I was moving house out of the area.
With her still owing me money.

I did get my money, not off her though her sister paid it me

Hence the reason why I now have a late payment fee in place

She may still be in touch with you, you never know

Carol xx

I Agree. I had the same problem but I never got my money. Once bitten twice shy and all that. Would never do it again.

Julia xx

[miss muffit]

Hi you definitely did the right thing…you cant go to the supermarket and get food and go back a week or two later to pay them… some one else will come along soon K:)

[disney]

:) Hi i think you did the right thing , in january i looked after two children and mum said she would pay me later but i never got a penny and now i always ask for the money in advance . recently i had a single parent come and she said she would pay me in vouchers but that she wouldnt be able to sort them for a month so i said i would have to take cash before the vouchers were set up she agreed .after all if they took their children to the nursery they would have to pay in advance . please dont feel bad about this x

[Rubybubbles]

don't feel bad hun, I agree with everyone, you did the right thing

[Banana]

definitly dont feel bad. i would have said the same

xxx

[peggy]

On Friday I had an interview with a woman who wanted care for her 2yr old son for 27 hours a week. Everything went great until the subject of money came up. She told me she was a single parent and until she had sorted her tax credits out, she wouldn't be able to pay me, but once sorted she could back date the money (it could take up to a month apparently).

Anyway I told her that unfortunately I was not able to do this and would need her to pay upfront on the monday morning for that weeks care.

As I expected, she hasn't been in touch since.

Do you think I was a bit hard on her? How do I know that she wasn't trying it on with me though?

What would you have done?

Feeling c**p because I could have done with the money.:(

Marie x

i dont think you were being unreasonable, you did only ask her for a week upfront, not like you'd asked her for a whole month! Tax Credits?? Am i right in thinking goes straight in their bank account? So she would have recouped her loss anyway.....a friend of mine is a single parent and she forsees her financial outlay and budgets accordingly, yes without a doubt in these instances it can be a strain for her but its not an impossibility, i feel for the woman as i know from my friends experience how difficult it can be, but your not a charity, a nursery wouldnt have done it either!!!

[lindylou]

Hi i definately agree with what the others girls say she would not work for no pay so why should you
Linx

[lizzymoonshine]

yes, you did the right thing,

if you start being soft with some people they just keep on taking advantage.

it is an unfortunate situation to be if you are a parent in that situation but perhaps tax credits need to evauluate these peoples situations and do things a little bit differently!

don't worry, you did the right thing. :)

hope that made sense, got my illiterate head on tonight!

lol

[wendywu]

I would not even consider it. As soon as she said this the warning bells would have gone off in my head. You have done the right thing. If you had gone ahead in a months time you would have been on this site telling us how you had worked a month for nothing.

I think she had a cheek to ask, and i dont think she would find another minder to work without pay.:panic:

[anneriddington]

You definitely did the right thing - tax credits can take ages to sort out and you can guess who would have been the last person on the payments list:(

[ma7ie]

Thanks everybody for your replies.

I feel I did the right thing but having been in the same situation as a single parent with my first daughter I know how hard it is to get on your feet.

Just felt a little bit guilty.

Will have to remember to keep my business head on.

Marie x

[essexgirl1967]

Hi!
I don't know whether this is any help to you but I had a very similar situation when askd to care for a full time 3 year old back in september. I explained everything at the interview and explained that I normally charge a month in advance but in her situation I was happy to only do a week in advance ( and get paid every Monday). The mum spoke to her Lone Parent advisor at the job centre ( who was getting a big bonus for getting this parent back to work) and the Job Centre eventaully paid the 1st weeks money for her. This did take a lot of input from my part, I had to fax an invoice and copies of the contract to the job centre but within an hour of the meeting the mum was at my door with the 1st weeks money in cash. The second week, the mums tax credits were in her bank by the Tuesday so I got paid 1 day later than the contract stated, and then we changed payment date to Tuesday mornings instead of Monday as she gets her tax credits weekly. basically she pays me cash as soon as the money goes into her account every week. So far, no problems at all, the mum is totally reliable with the money, better than most of the other mums who probably are more able to afford the fees. It may be worth ringing your mindees mum and asking her to ask at the job centre for the 1st weeks fees to be paid. Then if she rings the Tax Credit people on her first day at work, there is no reason why her tax credits won't be sorted by the following week. Hope this helps, and Good Luck! Karen