MAT leave setup
Enter your key dates, salary, usual take-home pay, Child Benefit estimate and workplace maternity policy.
Editable spreadsheet planner
Download the maternity pay and nursery fees spreadsheet planner
A calm UK spreadsheet for maternity pay, savings, baby costs and nursery fees.
The free calculators are great for a quick answer. The spreadsheet planner lets you add more personal details, including your usual take-home pay, employer maternity policy, savings, baby costs and nursery quotes, so the figures can feel more personal to you.
Once downloaded, the workbook is yours to keep. You can update it, refer back to it during maternity leave and use it as your own planning file whenever your dates, pay or childcare costs change.
- Updated for 2026/27
- Uses GOV.UK figures
- Excel and Google Sheets
Planner price£5.99
One-off payment. Download the spreadsheet and keep it for your own planning.
Opening offerOPENINGPRICE
Use this code for 50% off while the launch offer is live.
Family Money Helper planner
Target still to save£6,795example only
Nursery after funding£812monthly estimate
| Sheet | What it does | Type |
|---|---|---|
| MAT leave | Add dates, usual pay and employer maternity policy | Input |
| Monthly Forecast | See estimated maternity take-home and income gaps | Auto |
| Savings Target | Turn the pay drop into a savings plan | Auto |
| Nursery Fees | Estimate full days, half days, extras and funded hours | Auto |
Example figures for layout only. Your workbook updates from the details you enter.
8spreadsheet tabs
From MAT leave setup through to nursery fees, baby costs and leave comparisons.
26/27tax year figures
Built around the latest GOV.UK maternity pay and childcare assumptions.
2file options
Excel workbook and a Google Sheets-compatible version for launch.
Spreadsheet previews
See what you get inside the planner
These screenshots show the current workbook design using example figures. They help you see the tabs, layout and level of detail before you buy.
The pink cells are the only cells you need to fill in. The green cells are calculated by the planner using your details, so you can get a more personal breakdown than the quick calculators on the website.
Employer maternity policy
Add up to five workplace maternity pay stages, then let the workbook check and calculate the policy for you.
Monthly forecast
See estimated maternity take-home, Child Benefit, weeks included and the monthly income gap.
Weekly breakdown
Inspect the weekly detail behind the forecast, including policy stage, SMP and estimated take-home pay.
Savings target
Turn the forecast pay drop into a target, with suggested monthly and weekly savings.
Savings and income smoothing
Plan money going into your maternity savings pot, then see how it could top up lower-income months.
Baby costs
Budget for one-off setup costs and new monthly baby costs, with space to add actual spend later.
Nursery fees planner
Estimate full days, half days, funded hours, extras and the average cost after funding.
Nursery plan comparison
Compare term-time and stretched funded-hours options in plain English before choosing a plan.
Leave length comparison
Compare 6, 9 and 12 months of leave against your current plan to see the broad income gap.
What it helps with
Built for the questions that are hard to answer in your head
This is for the bit where maternity pay, unpaid leave, savings, nursery fees and returning to work all start overlapping.
How much maternity pay might I receive each month?
When could my pay drop, and by roughly how much?
How many unpaid weeks or months might I need to plan for?
What could I try to save before or during maternity leave?
What will nursery cost before funded hours start?
Would 6, 9 or 12 months of maternity leave feel more realistic?
How could funded childcare change my yearly nursery costs?
What baby setup costs and regular baby costs should I budget for?
Inside the workbook
A planner for the full journey, not just one calculation
Each sheet has a clear job. Pink cells are for your inputs, green cells calculate for you, and notes explain the assumptions in plain English.
MAT leave setup
Enter your due date, planned leave dates, usual pay and employer maternity policy in one clear place.
- Planned leave length
- Usual take-home estimate
- Employer enhanced pay rows
Monthly forecast
See a month-by-month estimate of usual take-home, maternity take-home, Child Benefit and income gap.
- Weeks included each month
- Estimated maternity take-home
- Total income gap
Weekly detail
Inspect the weekly working behind the monthly view, including full pay, SMP-only weeks and unpaid weeks.
- Policy stage by week
- SMP and enhanced pay split
- Estimated weekly take-home
Savings target
Turn the forecast income drop into a savings target, including money already saved, baby setup costs and a buffer.
- Target still to save
- Monthly savings plan
- Smooth income plan
Baby costs
Plan one-off baby setup costs and regular monthly baby costs using budgeted and actual amounts.
- Budget vs actual
- One-off setup costs
- Monthly cost changes
Nursery fees
Estimate full-day and half-day nursery costs before funding, after funding and across different funding patterns.
- Full and half days
- Food and provider extras
- Term-time vs stretched funding
Leave comparison
Compare the estimated income gap for 6, 9 and 12 months of maternity leave alongside your current plan.
- 6, 9 and 12 months
- Average monthly gap
- Unpaid weeks
Sources and guide
Keep the GOV.UK rates, assumptions and plain-English user guide alongside the workbook.
- 2026/27 rates
- Source notes
- Simple user guide
Decision support
Compare the choices that usually change the numbers most
The spreadsheet includes simple comparison views so you can compare broad options before getting lost in the smaller details.
Leave length comparison
Compare 6, 9 and 12 months of maternity leave, including estimated income gap, average monthly gap and unpaid weeks.
6 months9 months12 monthsYour current plan
Nursery funding comparison
Compare broad nursery funding patterns so you can see how term-time and stretched hours may change the yearly cost.
Term-time hoursStretched hoursYear-round attendanceTerm-time attendance
How it works
Simple enough to use without needing to love spreadsheets
Fill in the pink cells
Start with your dates, salary, usual take-home pay, employer maternity policy and nursery assumptions.
Let the green cells calculate
The workbook estimates pay, Child Benefit, nursery fees, savings targets and comparison views for you.
Use the comparison tabs
Compare leave lengths and nursery funding patterns before deciding what feels realistic for your family.
File formats
Use it in the spreadsheet app you already know
The first launch will focus on Excel and Google Sheets. Google Sheets is likely to be the easiest option for many families because it can be used for free with a Google account.
Excel
Best for the full designed workbook experience.
Google Sheets
A compatible workbook version for planning in your browser. This is useful if you want a free way to open and use the planner.
Apple Numbers
Planned for a later release once the Numbers version has been fully tested.
Sources
Built around 2026/27 GOV.UK figures
The planner includes a source tab and is designed to work alongside the same GOV.UK assumptions used by the free calculators.
View sourcesQuestions
A few things to know before buying
Is this a replacement for payroll advice?
No. It is a planning spreadsheet to help you estimate and organise your money. Always check your employer policy, payslips, payroll team and GOV.UK guidance.
Does it calculate exact take-home pay?
The planner is designed for budgeting, so it uses estimates and assumptions. Tax, National Insurance, pension, salary sacrifice and payroll timing can change your actual pay.
Can I use it in Google Sheets?
Yes. The launch version is planned for Excel and Google Sheets. Google Sheets is a helpful option because it is free to access with a Google account. An Apple Numbers version may be added later once it has been tested properly.
Does it include benefits or tax credits?
Not fully at the moment. The planner includes a Child Benefit estimate, but it does not calculate Universal Credit, tax credits or other benefit entitlement. Check GOV.UK or a benefits adviser for those.
Ready for the full planner?
Download the workbook and map the months before they happen
Get the planner for £5.99 and use it alongside the free calculators to turn quick estimates into a practical spreadsheet you can keep, update and refer back to.
Opening offer: use code OPENINGPRICE for 50% off at checkout.