Realistic weekly cost of au pair in Surrey?

[Peppin]

What is your estimate of this? I will be looking for an au pair in the Guildford/Woking/Farnham area. Having looked on aupairworld.com and childcare.co.uk, I had formed the impression that the usual weekly cost was around £80. On top of that I am aware I will have to allow for an increased food bill to feed the au pair. However, when I mentioned that I thought the weekly wage would be about £80 for 25 hours' work to a friend, she said that it is more like £100-£125, though that is where we are now, further south in (quite rural) Hampshire.

I would have thought Guildford - closer to London - would be more expensive? Was I so far off with £80 a week?

It depends what exactly the au pair will be doing and what else comes with the package. Au pairs in rural areas do often get a higher salary to lure them there/compensate for higher costs getting to exciting places.

I think £125 would put you in record keeping territory (but not tax and NI deductions unless they have another job).

Record-keeping territory?

Where you need to record payments made, their NI number (which means the palaver of obtaining said NI number) etc because at that point they're eligible for statutory payments (SSP, SMP etc) but don't pay tax, however HMRC would need proof that they had been earning enough money over a long enough period to qualify.

Under the LEL, which is £107/week IIRC, you don't have to get involved in tax/NI if you're their only employment, between £107 and £144 you have to keep certain records, over £144 you have to operate PAYE and start paying tax.