What parent uses or what their contracted to?

[Lems]

When doing my returns to 'claim' a percentage on water/lighting etc I enter hours worked to get my average.
Now my attendance book is accurate rounded to the nearest fifth minute. Although parents are charged based on their contracts. Some parents are most days collecting 20 odd minutes or less earlier per day..some are late

So in my hours worked do I put exact or contract? If contract do I put overtime/lateness?
Also
If I've dedicated time (while no children are attending) to do paperwork can I add this on as worked hours per week?
Thanks

[JCrakers]

Contracted hours

I work 8-6 everyday and if someone was to have a day off leaving me with a day off I would still be working 50hrs a week

Well I hope so cos that's what I've been doing for the last 5yrs

And yes to paperwork hours

[rickysmiths]

You are not allowed to claim for Paperwork' Hours only the time the children are in your care. So if they are off sick for a week you can't claim for those hours. You can claim for each child either just the base hours you work so if the first arrives at 7am and the last leaves at 6pm you hours for the day are 11.

[hectors house]

I don't claim for paperwork hours but don't really understand why we can't claim - I'm sure a supermarket will still be claiming for their electricity etc when the evening staff are shelf filling - but the shop is closed with no customers.

I hoover every day before and sometimes after they have gone, and need my heating and lights on while I am writing up observations some nights til midnight. Surely we are still working even if the customers/children have gone home? If I ran a Nursery and stayed on the premises doing accounts would I be able to claim - if so what is the difference?

[MrAnchovy]

The difference is that the supermarket only uses electricity for its business whereas you also use electricity for your family, so it has to be apportioned according to some rules. HMRC wrote the rules, and they say "A childminder looking after a child on a full time basis for 40 or more hours each week is entitled to claim the full time proportion of expenses." So it is the hours you look after at least one child that matters, not the time you spend preparing, clearing up or doing paperwork.