TOOLS & GUIDES
Return to work & childcare calculator.
Going back after leave? Compare working three, four or five days and see how take-home pay, childcare costs, government support and your pension fit together, side by side. A few minutes, no account, and your numbers stay on this device.
3, 4 or 5 days, side by side
Childcare costs and support
What starts when
Part of:
Becoming a parent
ASSUMPTIONS AND SCOPE
What the calculator covers, and what it doesn’t.
WHO IT’S FOR
Parents in England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland weighing up how many days to work after leave, with childcare to pay for.
WHAT IT COMPARES
Three, four and five-day patterns (or your own): take-home pay, childcare costs, government support and work costs, with pension shown separately.
RATES USED
2026/27 tax, National Insurance and student loan rules, and the childcare support rules for your nation, checked in September 2026.
CHILDCARE SUPPORT
Funded hours, Tax-Free Childcare and Universal Credit childcare are estimated from your answers, including when each can start.
YOUR COSTS
Nursery or childminder costs and work costs come from what you enter. Term dates and start dates are based on your child’s age and your return date.
WHAT IT DOESN’T DO
It doesn’t apply for support, confirm eligibility, or tell you how much to work. It can’t reproduce your employer’s payroll or a full benefits calculation.
This is a financial illustration based on what you enter and published rules, not tax, financial or legal advice and not a recommendation about how much you should work. If you save a plan, it stays in your browser on this device and nowhere else.
Model version v1
GUIDES TO HELP YOU EXPLORE
Read alongside the calculator.
WHEN YOU’RE READY
Keep your pension growing whatever your week looks like.
Chest turns everyday spending into pension contributions, with flexible rules for the months when money is tight.
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