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The Real Number · Work & childcare

The Work Week

Would changing your work days leave you better off?

Whether you work more, cut back or stop altogether, see what it could leave your household with each month.

Your situation ↓
What's your situation?

We’ll compare working more, fewer or no days, and scale the pay to match.

Your annual salary £/YR — gross, for 3 days/week
What lands in your bank each month? £ — optional

Use your normal take-home amount, after pension and workplace-benefit deductions. It makes the estimate more personal.

Partner's annual income £/YR — used for benefit checks

This is not added to the comparison — it checks Child Benefit and flags the childcare funding cliff.

Your monthly childcare bill £/MO — what you pay now

The amount that actually leaves your account. We’ll scale it if the number of working days changes.

I know what childcare would cost in each option (optional)

Enter only the options you know. Leave a working-day box blank and we’ll estimate it from the figures you do know. The not-working box is only for nursery or wraparound care you would keep.

Only if you would still pay for care

Monthly commuting / work costs £/MO — what you pay now
How many children do you have?
Your figures stay in this browser. They are never sent to us, and you can clear them whenever you like.

Your numbers at a glance

Each option is compared with where you are now—not your household’s full combined income.

Tap an option to see your monthly money breakdown. ↓

What’s driving your number?

Want to see the full monthly workings?Open

The line-by-line figures behind every working option.

How is childcare paid for? optional personal view

This changes only your personal cash view below — never the household result.

Before you decideCheck your nursery fees and payslips before making a decision. Childcare support and take-home pay can vary by family.

Where to go next

If you want to take the conversation further, these tools can help with the wider picture.

See the wider household pictureUse The Life Sheet to map out bills, everyday spending and what is left each month.Open The Life Sheet → Thinking about moving?Use The Home Plan to explore a mortgage payment that could feel comfortable month to month.Open The Home Plan →
Use this to start a conversation, not to make the decision for you. The Work Week does not tell you whether to work more, cut your days or stop working. Check your employer’s terms, childcare eligibility, actual nursery quote and payslips before deciding. Rough planning estimate only — not tax or financial advice. Uses 2026/27 UK income tax and NI bands and the High Income Child Benefit Charge rules (withdrawn between £60k–£80k for the higher earner). If you enter your actual take-home, the calculator carries the difference from its tax estimate forward proportionally; this is still an estimate, not a payslip forecast.