Advice Needed

**Jemima77** · 30-10-2009, 08:18 PM

I have taken on a LO whose mum is at university. She has had the place since August and promised to pay a retainer from then till September then pay upfront till end of Dec when her grant comes through......I have had one payment from her of £500 but am owed alot more. I am having to use my savings to cover bills etc but these are going to run out as of next month and she is still waiting for the grant money to come through. I am really worried about not getting paid. I do believe her but how can the university take this long to sort her money out.....feel like i am working full time for nothing. help!!!!!!!!!

**kindredspirits** · 30-10-2009, 08:31 PM

i'd tell her that she'll have to pay what she owes you and take that out of the grant when it arrives - you are not a charity and have bills to pay.

**tashaleee** · 30-10-2009, 08:40 PM

Has she said why the grant wont come through til then? Is any of the grant specifically to cover her childcare with you? (in which case you should have been asked to complete forms). Is there anyway she can give you documents from the university to confirm that payment will be made then? I would want to be chasing this up as no way should you be asked to work from sept-dec full time (which is what I think I understood from your post) with only a £500 retainer - as much as you may enjoy having the child it is not acceptable to work like that and where she gets the money from, technically, is not 'your problem'.

**nannymcflea** · 30-10-2009, 08:58 PM

She will have to pay you and sort out HER finances when the grant comes through, you are not a charity. A nursery would not allow this, why should you?

**Madminder** · 30-10-2009, 09:19 PM

I had a parent do exactly the same thing to me a few years ago. She kept saying that her childcare grant had not come through and that she was chasing it up but it turned out that it didn't come through seperately but as part of her normal grant and she had not realised so had spent it! If I remember rightly she had to borrow money from somewhere to pay me but she did make sure that when her grant came through for the next term she paid me up front for the whole term and the holiday retainer!

Worth asking her if she has has her normal grant and if so tell her to make sure that this did not include the childcare element too!

Good luck.