Parent LifeUK Guides.
The financial and practical side of becoming a parent — maternity leave, childcare costs, Tax-Free Childcare and returning to work — explained clearly with free tools to help you plan.
LeaveRead the guide →
Maternity Leave Planning Guide UK
SMP week-by-week, notification deadlines, KIT days, Shared Parental Leave. Everything before you tell your employer.Read guide →Free Tool — No Sign-UpMaternity Pay Calculator
A week-by-week breakdown of your SMP for all 39 weeks — including the drop after week 6 most parents aren’t prepared for.Open calculator →ChildcareRead the guide →
Free Childcare Hours UK 2026
The expanded entitlement explained — who qualifies for 15 or 30 hours, how to apply, and what “free” actually means in practice.Read guide →Benefits GuideTax-Free Childcare Guide UK
The government tops up your childcare account by 20% — up to £2,000 per child per year. Who qualifies and how to set it up.Read guide →ChoicesRead the guide →
Nursery vs Childminder UK
Cost, flexibility, regulation, ratios, sick days and the data on outcomes. A direct verdict for different family types.Read guide →Free Tool — No Sign-UpNursery Cost Calculator
Your actual monthly childcare costs after funded hours and Tax-Free Childcare — by hours per week, location and your child’s age.Open calculator →to WorkRead the guide →
Returning to Work After Maternity Leave
Your legal rights, how to request flexible working, phased returns and how to plan your childcare before you go back.Read guide →Action GuideHow to Apply for Free Childcare Hours
Step-by-step through the Childcare Service application — including what happens if you’re self-employed or hours vary.Read guide →Maternity Pay Calculator
A week-by-week breakdown of your SMP for all 39 weeks — including the significant drop after week 6. Enter your gross salary and see exactly what arrives each month throughout your leave.
Open calculator → 🏫Nursery Cost Calculator
Model your actual monthly childcare costs after funded hours and Tax-Free Childcare — by hours per week, your region and your child’s age. See what you’ll actually pay versus the headline rate.
Open calculator →Tell your employer at least 8 weeks before you return
Your employer needs at least 8 weeks’ notice of your return date — and you have the right to change it. If you want to return earlier than planned, you must give 8 weeks’ notice. If later, the requirements depend on your original leave dates. Our returning to work guide covers all the notice requirements clearly, including what happens if your employer doesn’t respond appropriately.
Read the return to work guide →Apply for Tax-Free Childcare before your childcare starts — not after
You need to apply through the government’s Childcare Service. You can apply up to 31 days before you need to use it, but you can’t apply retrospectively. The eligibility rules changed in 2024: you must be working and earning at least the equivalent of the National Minimum Wage for 16 hours per week. Our TFC guide covers eligibility and setup step by step.
Read the Tax-Free Childcare guide →Funded hours and Tax-Free Childcare can be combined — most parents don’t
Many parents don’t realise you can use both schemes simultaneously. Funded hours cover your entitlement directly; Tax-Free Childcare tops up what you pay on top of that. Used together, the savings compound significantly. Our free childcare guide explains exactly how to combine them and calculate your real out-of-pocket costs.
Read the free childcare guide →SMP drops significantly after week 6 — most parents aren’t prepared for this
Statutory Maternity Pay is 90% of your average weekly earnings for the first 6 weeks, then drops to £184.03/week (2026 rate) — or 90% of earnings if that’s lower — for the remaining 33 weeks. That drop can be several hundred pounds a month. Use our maternity pay calculator to see your exact month-by-month income before you plan your leave.
Calculate your SMP →The Parent Life section covers the practical and financial reality of having a child in the UK — the entitlements, the costs, the decisions. We don’t sell financial products or refer you to paid advisors. Every guide is based on current government policy.
Our free calculators are genuinely free — no email required, no paywall. They exist because the questions they answer are the ones parents search for most and deserve clear, accurate answers.
Planning your
leave? Start
with the maths.
Our maternity pay calculator gives you a week-by-week breakdown of your SMP for all 39 weeks — including the significant drop after week 6 that most parents aren’t prepared for. Enter your salary and see exactly what arrives each month before you hand in your notification.
