How much is it to raise a child uk

How much does it cost to raise a child in the UK?

Table of Contents

Deciding whether or not to raise a child is no easy decision – as any parent can tell you, raising children will completely change the way you live and organize your life, starting from your expenses! But how much does a child cost in the UK really?

How much does it cost to raise a child in the UK?: Summary table

Average cost of raising a child in the UK

What is the average cost of raising a child in the UK? In planning your parenthood, it’s important that you take stock of the new kinds of costs that await you once you have children to look after, so that you make sure you are able to financially support a child. According to the Child Poverty Action Group childcare and housing are the largest two costs on family budgets, while the average cost of raising a child, depending on the area of the UK, is estimated to be between £150,000 to £180,000, including food, housing and childcare but not luxuries like vacations, gifts or hobbies. It’s like taking out a mortgage, making financial planning before becoming a parent so important!

Average number of children per family UK

According to the most recent data from Statista, in the UK, the average number of children per household has decreased in recent years to less than two. This is most likely due to the increased costs associated with raising a family. Note, however, that the costs of raising children decrease significantly after the first child.

Cost of a child by age

How much does a child cost per year in the UK? The answer to that is: it depends! While the bottomline cost of having is significant, you’re more likely to bear the brunt of the big ticket cost items in their early years, since they of course become increasingly independent and financially self-sufficient as they grow up.

First few months

Whether you are conceiving or planning to adopt, the first few months with the child are always the most tumultuous, both for your way of life and for your finances, since it is during these months that you will make some of the bigger ticket purchases. Baby monitors, car seats, prams, bassinettes and nursery room furniture – these can all run up a bill into the hundreds, if not thousands, in addition to the seemingly infinite amount of nappies, food, equipment and changes of clothes. Needless to say, it’s more than likely that you can expect to add an average of £300-£500 to your monthly spending during these first few months.

Early years (ages 1 to 3)

Once you’ve made it through the first year or so, you’ll then come across the next major expense of child rearing – childcare. This cost is most significant between the ages of one and three, since at this age the children are still too young to be enrolled in pre-school education programmes. In the meantime, if you plan on sending your children to a nursery or hiring a nanny while you return to work, you will have to pay for those expenses out of pocket, and any parent can tell you – it’s not cheap! Depending on where you live, nursery school fees can range anywhere between £150-£250 per week!

Childhood (ages 4 to 17)

Once your child is enrolled in the educational system, it will help to alleviate some of the more routine costs of child rearing while bringing about others – play dates, extra curricular activities and more.

This is the period of their lives in which it is easier to regulate spending and costs, as opposed to when they are infants and require specific foods, things and childcare, since their needs in this age group are relatively simple to fulfill. It might be worth considering setting up a college fund and start saving for your children with the money that you are able to save on childcare costs.

In their teenage years, as they start to seek out more independence, they will start to develop hobbies and social lives, and you assume the role of free transportation provider, that is, until they begin driving on their own, and new, young drivers can cause your auto insurance rates to go up. Each of these factors, along with increased spending on food and utilities – since teenagers are growing and developing rapidly at this age and are eating non-stop – can run up a large bill.

Early adulthood (ages 18 to 21)

At this age, they aren’t kids anymore, and they will start moving out of the house to live on their own, either starting to work or enrolling in university. Although they are starting to become more financially independent, it’s common for parents to continue to spend a great deal on their children – university tuition, car payments or holiday vacations. Typically, once they finish university, the average spend from parents on their children drops considerably, and revolves around birthdays or other celebrations.

What are the main additional costs of child rearing?

Overall, the types of costs associated with having children that are more or less steady over time are those associated with our more basic needs: utility consumption, increased spending on food, additional insurance payments, buying new clothes to replace those that have been outgrown, etc.

Childcare is another significant source of spending that for most people is unavoidable when raising children – for the first years after childbirth or adoption, as parents return to work, this is one of the most significant additions to monthly costs. Though after a few years this eventually will be substituted with other things associated with educational needs and hobbies.

Government help

It goes without saying – raising children is expensive! But what financial support is available for parents to help alleviate the hefty costs of child rearing? In the UK, parents are able to claim some benefits from the government to help lessen some of the financial burdens associated with raising children.

For each child you have, you can claim a child benefit from the government, which usually amounts to around £100 a month, provided over the course of each week, to help cover some of the costs of raising children. In terms of parent eligibility, if you claim one or more children as your dependents, you are eligible to receive child benefits. Note however that only one parent may claim the benefit.

In addition to child benefits, you are also eligible for tax deductions, based on the number of children that you have. The child tax credits won’t not impact the child benefits you may receive. However, you can only claim a child tax credit if you already receive working tax credit.

To help with the extensive costs of childcare, you can apply for Tax-free childcare from the government, which can amount to up to £2,000 in a year or more depending on the particular needs of your child.

Further information on how to claim these benefits and deductions, visit the gov.uk website.

Can I afford to have a child?

The costs associated with having a child can be intimidating for many people, but it shouldn’t scare you off from having them if you really want them. With the right financial planning, you can make parenthood more affordable.

Some advice for soon to be parents who are anxious about financially supporting their new family: try to plan out ahead of time as best you can the budget for your household, to get an idea of the costs you will have to take on once you become a parent and start saving!

One of the best ways to prepare yourself financially for parenthood is to start saving now, since you don’t know what exactly will be the future costs of having children. Having funds set aside for emergencies is important, so that you are able to cover any unforeseen expenses.

For those who are able to, starting to invest in funds early on for your child is a good way to help provide a nest egg for them later on in life when they go to do things like buy a house or go to university.

A final word of advice – talk about money! Have open conversations about finances with your family to avoid going over budget!

FAQ

What is the average number of children for a family in the UK?

The average cost of a child for a family in the UK is estimated to be around £150,000 and £180,000 over a lifetime. However, the average costs decrease with each additional child.

What is the best way to begin preparing financially for a child?

The best thing expecting parents can do to prepare their finances for raising a child is to try to plan out ahead of time the budget your household will need in order to start saving effectively.

How does the cost of raising a child change over time?

Some of the more significant costs are borne during the early years of child raising, like childcare products and services, which decrease as the children become increasingly independent and financially self-sufficient.

Cost of a child | CPAG

In 2020, the additional basic cost of a child, from birth to age 18, was £71,611 for a couple family and £97,862 for a lone-parent family. If housing and childcare costs are added these rise to £152,747 and £185,413 respectively.
 

Press release

09 November 2022

Cost of a child reaches almost £160,000 for couples, £200,000 for lone parents. 2021-2022 saw the biggest annual deterioration in living standards since 2012. The government must increase benefits with inflation at the Autumn Statement.

Benefit levels Cost of a child Press release UK

Report

08 November 2022

Families in 2022 are facing the greatest threat to their living standards in living memory. Much has been written about these pressures, but to put them into context, we need to understand what has been happening to children’s and families’ costs in recent years. The Cost of a Child reports have been produced annually for a decade, and this 2022 edition presents the latest evidence of what families need as a minimum, and how this compares to the actual incomes of low-income families.

Benefit levels Children’s benefits Cost of a child Costs and spending Report Universal credit UK

Report

09 March 2022

A report analyzing the impact Scottish government policies and lower childcare costs have on the costs of bringing up a child.

Best Start Grant Child poverty legislation Child poverty statistics Child poverty strategies Cost of a child Report Scottish child payment Scotland

Blog

14 December 2021

With inflation once more in the news and Christmas around the corner, many parents are understandably concerned about covering family costs. Our latest findings show that the cost of bringing up a child has risen to at least £160,000, with increases in items such as childcare, food and domestic fuel pushing it ever higher.

Benefit levels Blog Cost of a child Costs and spending UK

Press release

14 December 2021

The cost of bringing up a child topped £160,000 in 2021 – jumping well over 3% - as millions grapple with inflation and the universal credit cut, research for Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) shows.

Cost of a child Press release UK

Report

13 December 2021

Child Poverty Action Group’s annual cost of a child report looks at how much it costs families to provide a minimum socially acceptable standard of living for their children. Since 2012, this report series has systematically monitored the minimum cost of a child. This report updates those calculations for 2021 and outlines the factors affecting the latest figures. The total cost of raising a child to the age of 18 now stands at £160,692 for a couple and £193,801 for a lone parent.

Benefit levels Cost of a child Report Universal credit UK

Report

29 October 2020

The year 2020 has put unprecedented pressures on families bringing up children. Parents across the world have taken on new challenges due to the coronavirus pandemic in keeping their children healthy and safe as well as properly fed, educated and entertained at a time when they have been required to stay at home, and when many families’ livelihoods have been threatened. Our cost of a child report looks at what items families need to provide a minimum socially acceptable standard of living for their children in 2020.

Benefit cap Benefit levels Childcare Cost of a child Costs and spending Report Tax credits Two child limit Universal credit Work and pay UK

Press release

29 October 2020

The Covid-19 temporary £20 per week increase in universal credit and working tax credits has enabled some low-paid working families with full-time jobs to get close to – or even just above – a minimum acceptable standard of living (or MIS, a no-frills, but adequate standard of living ), new research for Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) shows.

Benefit cap Benefit levels Childcare Cost of a child Costs and spending Press release Tax credits Two child limit Universal credit Work and pay UK

Press release

04 September 2019

Working lone parents on reasonable pay cannot reach a minimum acceptable living standard – as defined by the public - even if they work full time, new research for Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) shows.

Benefit levels Childcare Cost of a child Costs and spending Press release Work and pay UK

News

04 September 2019

The latest report in our annual Cost of a Child series finds that the overall cost of a child up to age 18 (including rent and childcare) is £185,000 for lone parents (up 19% since 2012) and £151,000 for couples (up 5.5% since 2012). The gap between lone parents’ actual income and what they need to meet family needs has grown sharply.

Benefit levels Childcare Children’s benefits Cost of a child Costs and spending News Work and pay UK

Kindergartens in the UK - Abroadz

Kindergartens in the UK

When planning to move to the UK with a small child and thinking about kindergarten, forget everything you know about kindergartens and stock up on patience and money. If you have an abundance of money and can freely allocate an additional thousand or two thousand pounds a month from the budget, then perhaps the first is not so important. If you are trying to save money, then patience will definitely come in handy. nine0005

Kindergartens in the UK: the issue price

All kindergartens in the UK are chargeable, so don't expect when your child turns 3 that the government will take care of them for free or almost free of charge from 8 am to 7 pm, five days a week.

The UK government openly admits that the most vulnerable group in terms of public assistance and benefits are preschoolers. However, the situation promises to improve in the foreseeable future, and even now there are some benefits that can and should be taken advantage of. nine0005

First, there is the government's child benefit, which can be applied for through gov.co.uk. There you will find detailed information, you can download the application form and clarify the list of documents that must be submitted. The benefit is about 20 pounds per week and is paid to children who have British citizenship or citizenship of the EU countries. This benefit is not targeted, that is, you can spend it at your discretion, including paying for kindergarten. nine0005

There are also special vouchers (childcare vouchers) that allow you to save a little and are issued through the employer of one of the parents. The point is that the amount you spend on child care is tax-free and is transferred directly from your pre-tax salary.

Finally, the main benefit that you can take advantage of is 15 hours a week, which the state pays instead of parents (free early education). That's about a day and a half a week, or three half days a week. February 2016 brought good news to parents in the UK - it was decided that the number of free hours for parents will be increased from 15 to 30 per week, so, despite the high cost of kindergarten services, there are reasons to hope that in the future kindergartens no longer a luxury. True, these 15 (and since 2017 - 30) hours a week are due to all preschoolers who have reached the age of three, as well as some children who are already two years old (this mainly applies to children from families belonging to vulnerable social groups). Until this age, and babies from three months old are accepted to kindergarten, you will have to pay for the services of preschool institutions on your own. Details related to the innovation can be found on the official website. nine0005

How much does kindergarten cost?

Depends on many factors. First of all, from the place of residence. If you live in London, then the cost of one day can reach 100 pounds, if in Central and Northern England - an average of 50 pounds per day. As a general rule, gardening fees are paid one month in advance and are non-refundable or recalculable if the child is ill or absent for any other reason. Also, if you do not have time to pick up the child from the garden on time, you may be asked to pay extra time, at least 2-5 pounds (depending on the city and area of ​​\u200b\u200bresidence) for each additional 15 minutes the child spends in the garden beyond the allotted time. nine0005

Not all gardens are open from 7 to 7, or at least from 8 to 6 (in the UK the working day usually ends at 5 pm). Many institutions operate only a few hours a day, such as from 8 am to 12 pm or from 9 am to 3 pm. It is understood that the main goal of such kindergartens is not to provide care for the child in the absence of parents, but to give him basic knowledge, prepare him for the first year at school, and develop the necessary social skills. Some kindergartens also have holidays that coincide with school dates. These days the garden is closed. nine0005

Kindergartens in the UK: how to choose

Finding a kindergarten and getting a place in it is sometimes not an easy task. This is exactly the stage that will require patient and painstaking work to study the “market”.

The geography of the search is determined individually, because, unlike schools, the choice of which is limited by the place of residence, you can enroll in any kindergarten. If it is convenient for you to carry a child from one end of the city to the other, this is your right.

When choosing a kindergarten, you can contact the city council. Each city council has its own Internet resource, where there are pages dedicated to preschool education. If you would like advice or ask questions before you start looking for a garden, you can address them to the appropriate service of the municipality. Most likely, you will not only be helped with advice, but will also be sent an e-mail with a list of kindergartens located in or near your area.

A suitable option is to search for a garden through Internet portals, in which children's institutions are collected in a single database. One of the most popular and user-friendly is childcare.co.uk. Not only can you search for gardens across the UK, but you can also fill out your page and describe yourself and what you're looking for. The inconvenience lies in the fact that not all kindergartens are registered on this site (although most are registered), moreover, contact information is often provided only to premium subscribers for a fee. nine0005

After you have selected a few suitable options, you need to call them and arrange a meeting and viewing (viewing).

It is better to start negotiating with the kindergarten in advance, a few months before the start of the semester (in September and January) from which you want to start attending kindergarten. Otherwise, there is a high chance that all the places in the garden will be filled, and you will either have to look for another garden, or sign up for a waiting list and wait until a place becomes free. nine0005

A tour of the garden will be conducted by a manager or one of the educators, with whom you can discuss all the details - clarify the cost, find out the menu and daily routine, ask about the methods that educators use in working with children. If you liked everything, the representative of the institution will offer to fill out a questionnaire. Then, after its consideration (the term for consideration is negotiated individually in each case), you will be sent an invitation and a contract for the provision of services (or papers similar to the contract). After signing the contract, you can be sure that your child has received a place in the garden. nine0005

No matter how good the kindergarten you choose, be prepared for some asceticism by Russian standards. For example, in English kindergartens, in principle, daytime sleep is not practiced, respectively, there are no bedrooms, beds, and there is no specially allocated time for sleep. In some gardens, children's recreation is not implied at all, and the entire space is a play area, divided into several sectors. In others, a small place is allocated inside this play space where tired children can lie down for a while - the children rest with the lights on, on the floor, and for convenience they are given thin mattresses. nine0005

Hygiene in British kindergartens is also peculiar. All visitors, and even employees, walk on the floor in street shoes (boot covers in the UK are not known either in kindergartens or in medical institutions). In many gardens, children are given tap water as a drink (it is considered drinking water).

If not a kindergarten, then who?

On childcare.co.uk, you will immediately notice that day care is not the only option for you and your child. As elsewhere, you will find many nannies - professional and amateur, with and without accommodation, as well as students and just young people who are ready to help you a little with a child for providing housing (if you have such an opportunity and desire). One of the convenient formats of childcare that can become a real alternative to kindergarten is the so-called childminders. In Russian, this word is translated as "nanny", but this is not quite a nanny in the usual sense, so let's call them childminders. nine0005

Childminder is a nanny who runs her own mini garden at home. Childminders, like kindergartens, must be officially registered and regularly pass state Ofsted checks (more on them below). In childminder mini-gardens, where one of the rooms (living room) and a courtyard are specially equipped for children, there are usually 3-5 children at the same time. Good childminers do not just sit with children, they constantly organize various activities for them, arrange competitions and home holidays, and also keep a journal of each child's progress, where they record his achievements, events of the day in general and paste crafts. nine0005

In addition, childminders offer more convenient opening hours and can be a lifesaver for working parents. You can bring your child to them on the way to work (starting at 7.30 am) and pick them up at 6-6.30 pm.

Registered childminers offer all the same benefits as regular kindergartens: they accept payment with vouchers and are willing to arrange free hours paid for by the government for parents.

Rating

When searching for information about a particular children's site or childminder, pay attention to its official rating, which is determined by the state on the basis of a special check and a report on its results (Ofsted Report). Ofsted stands for Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills, and Ofsted Report evaluates educational institutions, including kindergartens, on a four-point scale:

1 - Outstanding (excellent)

2 - Good (good)

3 - Improvements required (improvements are required)

4 - Inadequate (unsatisfactory)

This rating can be guided, but you should not blindly trust it. Of course, it reflects reality, but only to a certain extent.

Be that as it may, you can be sure that good gardens and childminders (rated “outstanding” or “good”) will surround your child with warmth and attention (preschool teachers are always friendly and patient), as well as ensure maximum safety for your little ones. So, in the questionnaire that you will be asked to fill out, you will most likely be asked to write who can pick up your child from the garden, as well as attach photos of these people. Separately, a secret password is indicated, which must be announced if the child is taken away without your prior warning. nine0005

Birth in the UK

• Birth in the UK
• How to give birth to a child in England, Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland for a Russian citizen in 2021-2022
• Have a child in the UK? Hospital, midwife, childbirth and IVF costs

If you are expecting a baby, you are likely to experience a range of emotions - excitement, fear, joy and confusion. If you are a visitor or expat in the UK and are planning to be born there, you need to know what to expect. nine0004