I must have 'MUG' written all over me, please help

[helendee]

I would be so grateful if anyone could offer me some advice. I have just been stung by a parent big time and am wondering if there is any point in me trying to get what I am owed.

A couple of months ago a young couple asked me to childmind their little boy, full time. We signed the contracts and everything seemed ok until a couple of days before L was due to start with me when the mother,N, phoned to ask is she could reduce the hours with me to two days a week!!! I know they had little money so I agreed. L then came to me for two days each week for a month and I gave them the bill on the last friday of the month ( she asked if they could pay in arrears as she had just applied for her tax credits).
The following week they just stopped bringing L, no texts, calls or emails, eventually I got hold of mum and she was full of apologies and that she and the lo's dad had just split up. Since then she has made numerous excuses not to pay me, I even offered to accept the payment in instalments of £20 weekly and she said that she had set up a Standing Order to pay me but needless to say I have not seen a penny.
I texted her again last week and she replied that she was now homeless, L is living with his dad and she has no way of paying me. I know that she is still working but don't have an address for her now. I didn't realise that she had a partner at the time so only she signed the contract!!!

Should I just write this one off as bad luck?

[aly]

how much is it and who are you with?

Someone has posted before saying that NCMA don't help for less than £150 { i think}..MM will pay you your money and then chase parent.

[helendee]

Thanks for your reply, I am owed £240 and am with NCMA. I think my main problem now is that she says that she is homeless so not sure if they can help?

[Pipsqueak]

I would be so grateful if anyone could offer me some advice. I have just been stung by a parent big time and am wondering if there is any point in me trying to get what I am owed.

A couple of months ago a young couple asked me to childmind their little boy, full time. We signed the contracts and everything seemed ok until a couple of days before L was due to start with me when the mother,N, phoned to ask is she could reduce the hours with me to two days a week!!! I know they had little money so I agreed. L then came to me for two days each week for a month and I gave them the bill on the last friday of the month ( she asked if they could pay in arrears as she had just applied for her tax credits).
The following week they just stopped bringing L, no texts, calls or emails, eventually I got hold of mum and she was full of apologies and that she and the lo's dad had just split up. Since then she has made numerous excuses not to pay me, I even offered to accept the payment in instalments of £20 weekly and she said that she had set up a Standing Order to pay me but needless to say I have not seen a penny.
I texted her again last week and she replied that she was now homeless, L is living with his dad and she has no way of paying me. I know that she is still working but don't have an address for her now. I didn't realise that she had a partner at the time so only she signed the contract!!!

Should I just write this one off as bad luck?

Right stop feeling sorry for her, it might all be a true story but on the other hand it might be a good yarn. Write her a letter something along the lines of:

Dear xxxx
Thank you for you recent correspondance regarding your financial and marital status and whilst I appreciate that your situation is regretable, I have no option but to pursue the outstanding fees owed for childcare services in accordance with the contract you signed.

I have attached an invoice that details outstanding fees owed to date.

I am happy to accept a payment scheme of £xx per week/month or receive the full sum to clear the debt.

Please note, I will have no optin but to pursue the matter through my solicitors if we cannot come to a suitable resolution, or you do not respond to this letter within the next xx days.

your sincerely

xxyz

keep a copy of everything you send. do not correspond by text. record everything down if you speak

also let it be a lesson learnt - no more working in arrears -no matter what the story.

[helendee]

Thanks for taking the trouble to reply, my problem is that I only have the address she gave me originally, no idea where she is now!!

[funemnx]

Thanks for taking the trouble to reply, my problem is that I only have the address she gave me originally, no idea where she is now!!

Don't worry too much about that, if she is spinning you a yarn, they will track her through any benefits she's claiming or the council, if she's applied for housing

[AliceK]

you only have her word that shes no longer living there. Can you go round and see. If not send a letter recorded and check who signs. Xxxx

[bekki0405]

Sounds like she wanted your Reg number

[karensmart4]

Thats an awful story, I've been stung to the tune of £600 before so know how you feel...long story, all sounded plausable..long standing mindee. Anyway I never got a penny it didn't matter what I tried as parent left the area.

I'm not so soft now and always ask for a deposit so at least if it happend again (which it wont) I would at least have that money.

[Chatterbox Childcare]

I would call her at work and then go ahead with the bailiffs through the courts using her work address as the contact point.

Embarrassment should make her pay and then also contact tax credits and let them know that you have never had a penny.

[karensmart4]

I would call her at work and then go ahead with the bailiffs through the courts using her work address as the contact point.

Embarrassment should make her pay and then also contact tax credits and let them know that you have never had a penny.

I agree with all this, but not to put you off, just to warn you, she could counteract by making a false allegation to ofsted

[jaja]

I agree with all this, but not to put you off, just to warn you, she could counteract by making a false allegation to ofsted anic:

dont let theis put you off, ofsted see through the false rumours

good luck xxxx

[wendywu]

[

QUOTE=karensmart4;752596]I agree with all this, but not to put you off, just to warn you, she could counteract by making a false allegation to ofsted

[/QUOTE]

This is not a reason to put up with with being defrauded out of ones wages.

Why if we thought along these lines parents could do what they like and we would be too afraid to pull them up or say NO in case they put in a false complaint

[AnnieM]

I had something very similar happen about 4 years ago. I only minded for one day though and did eventually get my money when I threatened to report her to the tax office for making a fraudulent claim, as it was quite obvious that they had only done the contract to claim tax allowance. It turned out that her mum was looking after lo and they were claiming the tax as though I were looking after him. needless to say, when I found out (from another minded) I reported them anyway.....

I would write the above letter and hand deliver it to the house, if she does no longer live there maybe the new residents know where she went. Whatever you decide to do, I really hope you get your money.

[The Juggler]

hope you manage to get it resolved honx

[Louise B]

All these stories worry the hell out of me I guess the bad payers are fairly rare, but it's not a nice position to be put in. I hope you get it sorted, and I would definitely chase it, don't feel sorry for her, she's working and claiming for childcare, so probably 75% of your fees would've been paid to her through tax credits. I would definitely send the letter that someone else suggested, and add something along the lines of "I understand that you claimed part of your fees via the Inland Revenue, so I will need to contact them in order to alert them of non-payment"... just to see if that scares her?!

Before I was made redundant, I claimed part of my childcare fees through tax credits, and they aren't that strict at checking up. I think I gave the registration number when my first daughter was in nursery, and they never asked for any other details after that, just assumed it was all the same. So she probably IS still claiming, and therefore committing fraud, so dob her in! If she is homeless, maybe she didn't pay her rent?! Some people think they can live off everyone else!!

Good luck, sorry I went on a bit! lol.

Louise.xx

[The Juggler]

All these stories worry the hell out of me I guess the bad payers are fairly rare, but it's not a nice position to be put in. I hope you get it sorted, and I would definitely chase it, don't feel sorry for her, she's working and claiming for childcare, so probably 75% of your fees would've been paid to her through tax credits. I would definitely send the letter that someone else suggested, and add something along the lines of "I understand that you claimed part of your fees via the Inland Revenue, so I will need to contact them in order to alert them of non-payment"... just to see if that scares her?!

Before I was made redundant, I claimed part of my childcare fees through tax credits, and they aren't that strict at checking up. I think I gave the registration number when my first daughter was in nursery, and they never asked for any other details after that, just assumed it was all the same. So she probably IS still claiming, and therefore committing fraud, so dob her in! If she is homeless, maybe she didn't pay her rent?! Some people think they can live off everyone else!!

Good luck, sorry I went on a bit! lol.

Louise.xx

you could always ring the tax credits people. If she has kept the money she claimed from them they need to reclaim it and pay it to YOU surely??? I'd def. inform them and the tax office hon

[karensmart4]

[

This is not a reason to put up with with being defrauded out of ones wages.

Why if we thought along these lines parents could do what they like and we would be too afraid to pull them up or say NO in case they put in a false complaint [/QUOTE]

I didn't say this to put anyone off of trying to get monies owed to them! THIS IS WHAT I WOULD DO PERSONALLY.
Write a letter complete with invoice to the person that owes me money stating time scale to take further action.
If no payment received, inform NCMA or MM whichever i was with, take advice from their legal team.
Inform Tax Credits, include Name of Adult, Name and dob of Child, address, how many hours contracted for, conditions of contract eg notice required. How many hours i cared for the child, how much i had been paid, how much is outstanding. (I would do this anyway).

The person i had a claim against wouldn't be happy so i wouldn't be suprised if they counteracted and tried to turn the tables.

I would know that i had acted professionally and would if contacted by Ofsted state clearly my actions. Ofsted wouln't give names but you would know where it came from and would say, "I think this has come from a parent that I am actively trying to recover monies from".
Ofsted knows this happens and prob wouldn't even do a visit, just clear the matter up via mail/phone/looking at past Osted reports and maybe your SEF.

I hope this clarifies my meaning.

I'm not saying this WILL happen.

Karen

[Bayard]

Oh, that's such a shame! I'm sorry to hear you've had a bad time with this family. I’ve never paid a childminder on a monthly basis and didn’t really know that it was a possibility. If they really are experiencing money difficulties it complicates the situation a lot. But they should at least have the courtesy to keep you informed and not expect you to chase them around asking for the money.

[karen m]

I was stung earlier this year and yes she made a complaint to Ofsted but they called me i explained what had happened and they were happy with that