Continue your plan
Useful next calculations
Rates & sources
Twelve-month household cash-flow model using net leave-pay phases supplied by the user. It does not assess statutory entitlement or invent an employer enhancement.
| Band / figure | Rate |
|---|---|
| Leave pay | entered from your schedule |
| Return month | entered by you |
| Childcare and household costs | entered by you |
Source: GOV.UK — maternity and paternity pay calculator — check the linked guidance and any live quote before acting.
When to use this calculator
- When you need a fast estimate before making a bigger decision.
- When you want to compare a few scenarios using the same assumptions.
- When you need a clearer starting point before using a detailed quote or formal document.
- When you want to sanity-check a figure you have seen elsewhere.
A realistic UK planning example
Use these sample inputs as a quick scenario test, then change one variable at a time to compare outcomes.
| Input | Value |
|---|---|
| Leave pay per month, months 1–6 (£) | 6 |
| Leave pay per month, months 7–9 (£) | 6 |
| Leave pay per month, months 10–12 (£) | 6 |
| Partner or other reliable monthly net income (£) | £35,000 |
After entering these figures, review required starting buffer, 12-month net movement and lowest monthly surplus together rather than in isolation. Then rerun the tool with one input adjusted.
How to read your results
Required Starting Buffer
The figure produced by this output for the inputs you entered. Change one variable at a time if you want to see what drives it.
12-Month Net Movement
The figure produced by this output for the inputs you entered. Change one variable at a time if you want to see what drives it.
Lowest Monthly Surplus
The figure produced by this output for the inputs you entered. Change one variable at a time if you want to see what drives it.
Lowest Month Number
The figure produced by this output for the inputs you entered. Change one variable at a time if you want to see what drives it.
Return Month
A projected outcome under the growth rate you entered. Real-world returns fluctuate, so also check a more conservative assumption.
Method & assumptionsAuthoritative sources
This interactive planner creates a twelve-month household timeline from the net leave-pay phases, partner or other reliable income, return month, post-return net pay, essential household costs, childcare and one-off costs entered. The table shows income, costs, monthly surplus and cumulative movement for every month.
Use amounts from the employer's written leave-pay schedule, payroll team or an official statutory-pay estimate. The default six-, three- and three-month phases are editable cash buckets, not claims about statutory entitlement or the timing of a particular employer scheme.
The tool does not assess maternity, paternity, adoption, shared-parental or neonatal-care pay eligibility; benefits; tax; pension effects; funded childcare; or actual pay dates. Confirm the schedule and rerun it when the employer or childcare quote changes.
Common mistakes
- !Using optimistic assumptions without testing a more cautious scenario.
- !Comparing outputs from different tools without checking that the inputs match.
- !Treating the result as a final quote instead of a planning estimate.
- !Rounding inputs too aggressively.
What to do next
- Try at least one more scenario so you can compare a realistic range.
- Use the related calculators below to cross-check the decision from another angle.
- Write down the key outputs from your best scenarios before you decide.
- If the result surprises you, change one input at a time to isolate the driver.
Frequently asked
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