Life events

The moments that change your money

Almost nobody redesigns their finances on a quiet Tuesday. It happens when something else happens — a job ends, a baby arrives, two households become one, an offer letter lands. These are the six that reshape a budget most, with the 2026/27 figures and what to actually do.

Every guide states the statutory figures in force for the 2026/27 tax year, checked against GOV.UK, and ends at the same practical step: working out what your money looks like on the other side. None of it is financial advice.

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Redundancy
You have been made redundant, or you can see it coming
What statutory redundancy pay comes to for 2026/27, which parts of the package are tax-free, how much notice you are owed, and how to turn a lump sum into a number of months rather than a number in an account.
Statutory payThe £30,000 ruleRunway
Read the guide →
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Maternity & paternity leave
A baby is coming and you need to know what the year costs
Statutory maternity, paternity and shared parental pay rates, the two points where income falls off a cliff, what to ask your employer about enhanced pay and pensions, and how much to put aside while still on full pay.
SMP & SPPThe week 7 cliffSaving in advance
Read the guide →
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Your first job
The offer letter said one number and your payslip says another
Where the difference between gross and take-home goes, how UK student loan plans and thresholds actually work, why opting out of the pension is the most expensive early decision available, and what to do on the first payday.
Take-home payStudent loansAuto-enrolment
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Buying a first home
You are saving a deposit, or close to offering on something
What buying costs beyond the deposit, how the Lifetime ISA bonus works and the conditions attached to it, first-time buyer stamp duty relief, how much deposit actually changes your rate, and what changes after completion.
Lifetime ISAStamp duty reliefDeposit bands
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Moving in together
Two financial systems are about to become one and a half
Splitting shared costs evenly versus in proportion to income, which account structure suits most couples, what a joint account does to your credit file, and the legal protections unmarried couples do not have.
Fair splitsJoint accountsThe legal gap
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Getting a pay rise
You have been offered more and want it to actually change something
What the rise is worth after tax, National Insurance and student loan, where the 60% band and the cliff-edge thresholds sit, why most rises vanish within two months, and how to allocate one before it lands.
Marginal ratesThe 60% bandLifestyle inflation
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All six end in the same place

Every one of these events changes the same thing: what arrives, what is already committed, and what is genuinely left. That is the calculation the payday allocation calculator does — free, no sign-up, and worth re-running whenever the numbers move.