How Much Should You Pay An Au Pair In The UK?

If you’re hosting an au pair for the first time, “pocket money” is probably the phrase you’ve heard used for what to pay. That framing is increasingly out of date. Here’s what actually determines a fair, compliant rate for an au pair in 2026, and how to work it out for your own household.

The Old “Pocket Money” Assumption

For years, host families treated au pair pay as pocket money rather than a wage, on the basis that au pairs were live-in “family workers” and fell outside the National Minimum Wage. Board and lodging were assumed to cover most of the value of the arrangement, with a modest weekly allowance on top.

What Au Pairs Are Actually Entitled To Now

That exemption has narrowed significantly following a series of employment tribunal cases involving live-in domestic workers. If your au pair has set hours, defined childcare or household duties, and doesn’t genuinely live and eat as an equal member of the family, HMRC and an employment tribunal are increasingly likely to treat the arrangement as employment, meaning the National Minimum Wage applies in the normal way. For 2026/27, that’s £12.71 an hour for an au pair aged 21 or over, £10.85 for 18 to 20 year olds, and £8.00 for under-18s.

In practice, that means a genuine “few hours of light babysitting in exchange for board” arrangement can probably still sit outside the Minimum Wage, but a structured role with set weekly hours and defined duties almost certainly can’t, however it’s described.

Working Out A Fair Rate

Step 1 – Work Out Actual Weekly Hours Paragraph: Add up the hours you genuinely expect, including regular babysitting, not just the “core” hours you’d put in a job description. Vague or open-ended hours are a common way arrangements drift into non-compliance without anyone intending it.

Step 2 – Check The Rate Against National Minimum Wage Paragraph: Multiply the weekly hours by the applicable NMW rate for your au pair’s age. If your planned pocket money falls short of that figure, the arrangement likely needs to move onto proper payroll rather than staying as informal pocket money.

Step 3 – Agree The Rate In Gross Terms Paragraph: As with any household employee, agree pay as a gross figure rather than net, so it’s clear from day one who’s responsible for tax and National Insurance. Our gross to net calculator makes it easy to see what a gross rate actually means in take-home terms.

Room, Board And Extras

Board and lodging can still be factored into the overall value of the arrangement, but it can’t be relied on alone to bring a structured role below Minimum Wage if the hours and duties amount to genuine employment. It’s worth being upfront with your au pair about what’s included, room, meals, use of a car, phone contribution, so both sides have the same understanding of the full package, not just the cash figure.

Au Pair Pay: Quick Answers

Is there a set “going rate” for au pair pocket money?

Not a reliable one any more. Historic pocket money figures were based on the assumption that au pairs sat outside the Minimum Wage entirely, which is no longer a safe assumption for most host families. Basing pay on actual hours against the current National Minimum Wage is a far more reliable starting point.

Do all au pairs need to be on payroll?

Not necessarily. A genuinely informal, low-hours arrangement where your au pair lives as an equal member of the family may still fall outside employment. If you’re not confident which side of that line your arrangement sits on, that’s exactly the kind of question worth getting a second opinion on before you commit to anything.

What happens if I’ve been underpaying without realising?

It’s worth addressing sooner rather than later. Backdated National Minimum Wage and PAYE issues can be resolved, and getting it corrected properly protects both you and your au pair going forward.

If you’re not sure whether your au pair arrangement needs to be on formal payroll, we help host families work through exactly this every week. Use our gross to net calculator to see what a compliant rate looks like, or get in touch and we’ll talk it through.

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