Updated 2026-03-10

How This Tool Works

📋 Purpose

Use this tool to compare your current childcare spend with likely local options and support estimates so you can plan your return to work with clearer numbers.

⚙️ How It Works

1
We use your postcode to find your area.
2
We compare your spending against likely childcare options in that area.
3
We estimate support and apply one main eligible scheme in totals to avoid double counting.
4
We show monthly and multi-month impact to support practical planning.

📍 Your Postcode

📅 Planning Horizon

💰 Current Monthly Childcare Spend

🎂 Child Age

🕒 Childcare Hours Needed Per Week

🚆 Main Commute Mode

🧳 Days at Work Per Week

👶 Number of Children Under 12

⏰ Working Hours per Week

💷 Total Household Income (Annual)

♿ Disabled Child in Household

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Childcare Return-to-Work Complete Guide

Understand what this tool uses, how each result is worked out, and what to do next with your numbers.

📅 Last updated: 2026-03-10

Quick Tips

Jump-start your understanding with these essential tips

Your result is only as good as your input. Use what you actually pay now, not a rough guess.

Support amounts are estimates. Always verify eligibility on GOV.UK before making a final decision.

Try your current setup and one realistic alternative. This gives a safer view of possible savings.

Step-by-Step Guide

Follow these steps to get the most from this tool

We use your postcode to find your area and compare your spending against typical childcare costs nearby. Then we compare your current cost against likely childcare options.

💡 Pro Tips:

•Use a full UK postcode.
•Enter monthly spend as a whole household amount.

Cost of Raising a Child Calculator

The tool finds the lowest monthly option in your region profile and estimates support based on your family inputs. It applies one main support scheme in totals to avoid double counting.

💡 Pro Tips:

•Check monthly reduction first.
•Then check 3, 6, and 12 month impact.

UK Tax Optimiser

Use the figures to shortlist next steps, then confirm prices with providers and confirm support with official guidance. Re-check whenever your hours, income, or childcare needs change.

💡 Pro Tips:

•Compare two realistic childcare setups side by side.
•Re-run if your work pattern changes.

Mortgage Reality Check

Advanced Topics

Deep dives for advanced users

This tool uses a mix of live checks (your area and official guidance links), recent average costs for your region, and estimates based on your answers. Read these labels before making big decisions.

Cost of Raising a Child Calculator UK Tax Optimiser Mortgage Reality Check

The tool separates three things: childcare option savings, government support, and return-to-work costs. This makes it easier to see whether a cheaper childcare arrangement still makes sense after travel and lunch costs are included.

Frequently Asked Questions

Straight answers to common questions about this tool

No. Your area and the official guidance links are checked live. Childcare prices use recent average costs. Support amounts are estimates based on your answers and current rules.

Because the main schemes are usually mutually exclusive. The total uses the strongest eligible scheme so savings are not overstated.

Yes. The tool adds typical travel and lunch costs and subtracts a small home-energy saving to show a more realistic monthly position.

No. Use it as a planning tool, then confirm final eligibility and amounts on GOV.UK.

Use Cost of Raising a Child for wider family costs, UK Tax Optimiser for take-home income, and Mortgage Reality Check for full household affordability.

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