Are you paying your cleaner during lockdown?

Now feel awful. Not paying mine. She's cash in hand & claims benefits as a single mum. Assumed she would get extra help from government.

Feel awful!

Pay the cleaner? Of course. What kind of monster wouldn't? She will, we are told, get furlough money but that will take a while to kick in so in the meantime we're not only paying her but when she comes back she's getting a pay rise. I now know how VERY much better she is at the job than we are!

This ‘monster’ - who’s husband is also furloughed.

What other services are you still paying for?

Whose

My grand daughter helps me after school - which of course she can't do at present - and I give her pocket money which I'm currently saving for her as it's not her fault she can't come. I miss her very much as she does the downstairs and I do the upstairs - just an hour a week and we get a lot done plus a good natter afterwards

My cleaner is self employed and does self assessment so will get 80%. She said she would not come during Covid19, before lock down started. She asked me for 50% for March before she knew about scheme. She text to say not to pay her in April as she has had text from tax people saying she will get 80%. She usually does 4 hours each week and is paid £48. I can't wait to get her back.

I've now got cleaner envy...

My cleaner is still working and happy to be paid in kind.

My daughter had to ask her Carer not to come because she wouldn't socially isolate and my daughter cannot risk her health. She had to have her BIL move in with them to help them with the children as her husband is a delivery driver who is needed to work more hours than usual. She definitely won't be paying the Carer the 20% who is self-employed through an agency. She would have done if the Carer had played by the rules but there again, it was probably naive to expect her to as she won't even do the things my daughter asks her to do even though it is in the Care Plan!

No, our cleaners are employed by a small business so will get the 80%. I'm really glad I'd changed to using a local business rather than an individual even though it was slightly more expensive. Benefit is that my cleaning gets done even if one of the 2 ladies who work together at any job is off sick. Also means I get 2hrs' cleaning done in one hour, at cost for 2hrs of course as 2 people are each working an hour. Now had I not spotted my first cleaner use a sponge to clean the bath with after first cleaning the toilet with it I would possibly be in a different situation, if not only feeling very unwell from the germs that were being spread from the toilet around the entire bathroom! Lesson learned, it pays to check up on cleaners while they're working.

I’m an ironing lady but only have three clients, none of whom are paying me. During lockdown I am trying to get a different business up and running in the hope I won’t need to return to ironing so if they were paying me I would feel I had to. I am also a carer, which why I work from home and I have been having issues with joint pain and the ironing exacerbates it.

Yes I’m paying my cleaner and doing the work myself with my husband but I hate doing it and especially for nothing! £200 a month for a cleaner sounds like a lot of money though and there’s no way I could pay that - but those who are furloughed could pick up the job I assume. I’ve always thought that children who grow up with a cleaner coming into their home develop bad habits and have voiced that within my own family - so interesting to see that my grandchildren are now making an effort to keep their bedrooms tidy as they realise it’s so much easier to clean when it’s not cluttered.

Yes paying our cleaner. She offered to do shopping for us if necessary as I am shielded and hubby 80 yrs old. So far we have managed with local shop deliveries but at least I have a fall back if I get stuck in the future. She has children so it must be difficult. She has said No but I feel we should help each other I couldn’t have managed without her a few months ago she also did my ironing, fortunately due to medication I feel fighting fit and can do my own housework (doesn’t mean I have to like it!).

AcornFairy, you and me both!

Yes we are paying our cleaner, she’s worth every penny and she is extremely grateful and I hope it’s not long before she’s back as I now realise what hard work it is and I don’t like doing it myself.

I did read the article yesterday.
,

Redhead and Acorn Fairy, you have both COMPLETELY missed the point. This is not about getting your cleaning done, it's about sticking to an agreement. And neither of you seems to have considered that there may be good reasons to have a cleaner - maybe they're out at work all of a long day and have only just the energy to cook a meal when they get home, or they have an invalid partner or they're a bit disabled themselves - or maybe they run a counselling service from home and it has to be spotless..

I teach piano in my home, or I did until I shut up shop about five or six weeks ago, about 35-40 students a week, I have someone in for just two hours a week, just to take the edge off things, and help me with decluttering. I have a husband with moderate Alzheimer's who is currently on the govt "shielding" list. I have no doubt that Redhead and Acorn Fairy think I spend my time lounging on the sofa popping one chocolate after another into my mouth from a big box while some poos drudge hoovers round my feet.

At the other end of the arrangement, almost all of y students pay me online by standing order, and when I stopped having in-person lessons in my house I wrote to them all offering to give online lessons or to do it by exchange of videos. So far only about 9 or 10 have replied, but looking sat my bank statement, it hasn't gone down. None of them have asked to stop paying me - maybe they haven't noticed yet! so I can kind of see it from both ends of the business.

QuizQueen said everything I would say.
There were some who asked why I didn't tell a certain bank and pension service that a couple I once knew, were working as a BnB whilst getting pension and pension credit++
Some of those people may think it's ok to cheat the system to a point but small or large, not declaring your income is wrong on several counts.

Gizzy (and others) I’m curious as to why you think some businesses should continue being paid for not delivering a service and others not? For example, a hairdresser comes to my house every 6-8 weeks - should I pay her? Should I pay my window cleaner who isn’t working? Should DH and his colleagues in the accountancy practice get paid? Etc.

I have to laugh at the number of people who 'don't know what they'd do without their cleaner' and are actually doing the minimum until said cleaner returns.
Have they really no idea how to clean their own mess?

'She does it so much better'...that phrase shows your upbringing. Not taught how to do the most basic housekeeping.
How shameful.

Id only recently taken on a new cleaner (about 5weeks) and first she was the one who said she sadly had to not come while this was on,no mention of paying.but then she said after a bit she was allowed as gov't said would help with cleanliness,and asked if i did still want her to.i said yes,then changed my mind as i wanted to 'shield' my son from any extra risk,and nurse at gp agreed it was right thing so i told her no.still she did not ask for any 'retainer' and tbh im not sure i could afford full price right now..as said by another poster,we dont know everyones circumstances.i used to have a cleaner from age concern but i couldnt afford as it kept going up in price,im not sure what they will do in this covid19 period.but i know if i skipped a week without enough notice when i employed them id still to pay,so im glad im not still with them ..i only have cleaner for floors/vaccuming mostly as ive osteoarthritis.

Why are you being so mean Gabriella54? Saying 'i dont know what id do without them' does NOT mean they dont know how to? (Its just a phrase)! I know full well how to "clean my own mess" but i cant stand for long enough periods of time to mop/steam/vac my floors- due to disability- im sure many on here are the same and also elderly or infirm.

Of course I know how to clean my own home GabriellaG54 I am doing it during lockdown and very well indeed. But I will carry on having my cleaner every week when it is possible to do so.

My choice what I spend my money on.

GabriellG54 i meant sorry for typo