Childcare - prompt payment discount

How would you feel if you received a letter like this?  We have our child in part time care.  We receive a WINZ subsidy because we are on a single income and I am studying (was made redundant earlier this year).

"We have appied the 5% prompt payment discount in error since April 2010.  The 5% should not have been given due to receiving a WINZ subsidy.  We apologise for this error......"

I wonder why I am not entitled to the prompt payment discount?  I still have to pay a fair amount of our own money on top of the WINZ subidy.  I'm no bludger, we desperately need the WINZ money we receive - and we don't treat it like some sort of handout.  

But why are we being treated differently?  The only reason I can think of is their administration might be a bit more for WINZ subsidised people - but surely we are not a rarity?

sounds a bit discriminatory to me . . . i would ask the centre manager directly why this is the case

I would just tell them you will continue to pay on time if you get the 5% prompt payment discount other wise there is no incentive to do so & you feel rather discriminated against because you get a subsidy like many others...& what about the ones who get 20hrs free are they also not entitled to the prompt payment offer as well.

I would confront them & go over there policy & if they don't play fair I would make my payment late...as a lot of them obviously do for them to offer a prompt payment...I meant 5% is not much but if others are getting it so should you

I am going to be very cynical and say that they are trying figure out a way to get a bit of extra money. Every childcare centre in NZ is going throughout this due to the changes to subsidies following the budget. It may not sound like much but it may make all the difference.

The centre I am involved with found that if they opened an extra 15 minutes per day it just about covered the $18000 short fall due to the cuts.

However I may be wrong

Thanks guys.  Yes - I felt discrimated against too but wondered if I was being picky.  I'm going to call WINZ and ask them what they think. 

A couple of points:

* I'm not exactly sure if our WINZ payments are made in arrears, but we pay a fortnightly amount to the childcare place so that we are always well ahead.

* 5% may not be much, but when our childcare comes to $200 a fortnight, that is an extra $10 I'm now having to pay because of someone's "policy".

Mine with B were always in arrears, when I first enrolled him, and again when i switched centres, i had to cover the initial 2 weeks as a lump sum which was almost a full weeks wages for me at that time!

Seems a little unfair, they know what YOUR part of the payments are, so surely it should be based on that payment, not the subsidy part??