HELP!! De-registered by forgetting to pay fee

I have been that complete idiot that messed up and thought I'd paid the fee last year and didn't. I had stopped minding for a year while I worked in a school and then started up again last June. I only realised I'd been deregistered today when i called Ofsted to find out why I hadn't received this years invoice. I've had no letters to say that I was being deregistered but apparently was in August. So the worst has happened. They say I can no longer childmind and have to reapply. Not surprisingly the lady on the phone was not particularly helpful and I was in such a state I wasn't sure what questions I was asking :( She did say I wouldn't have to go through all the courses etc again but does anyone know how long it's going to take until I can childmind again? I'm dreading calling the two families I work for... Has anyone re registered after a deregistration?

Sorry this has happened to you. But unfortunately, you will have to start from scratch again. One other lady had the same thing happen to her, but she was still in the middle of minding! Not sure if she ever went back to it. :(