Is the £5/hour rate real, or is there a catch?

£5/hour is the introductory rate on every role and tier: 6 months on Entry, 3 on Mid, 1 on Expert. After the intro period, standard rates run from £5.50–£8.50/hour depending on role, tier, and working pattern. There’s no hidden fee, no setup cost, no recruitment markup. The rate you see is the rate you pay.

What’s the minimum commitment?

12 months initial term with a 3-month probation period. If your VA isn’t right during the first 3 months, you can request a replacement at no cost. After 12 months, the contract continues on a rolling monthly basis until either party gives 30 days’ notice.

Are there setup fees?

No setup fees. The only upfront costs are a 30-day bond deposit (held for the duration of the contract and refunded when you leave, provided all dues are settled) and one month’s fee paid in advance.

What if I need to reduce hours later?

30 days’ written notice and your monthly fees adjust to the new rate. You can step down or back up as your needs change.

Is VAT included in the calculator?

No, the calculator shows fees exclusive of VAT. VAT is added on top where applicable, per standard UK rules. We charge VAT once we cross HMRC’s VAT registration threshold.

How does this compare to other VA agencies?

Most £5/hour VA services are unmanaged marketplaces, so you hire and manage the VA directly. Ant Assist is a managed service: supervision, replacement, performance management, and continuity cover are our responsibility, not yours. The price includes that overhead.

VA Cost Calculator UK: See Your Savings vs Hiring In-House

VA ROI CALCULATOR

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Full-time monthly salary for the role. Part-time comparisons pro-rate it to the same hours.

UK In-House

Traditional

Fixed overhead, long-term commitment

Monthly (recurring) £0

Annual (recurring) £0

Ant Assist VA · Entry

Full-time · 160h/mo

Monthly after promo £0

Annual after promo £0

Start from £5/hour today

Saving vs UK In-House

Annual (after promo)

£0

Ongoing / month

£0

Steady-state monthly (after promo)

UK In-house£0/mo

Ant Assist£0/mo

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Cumulative cost over 12 months

Ant Assist (always shown)

Exact monthly values (table)

Comparison assumptions

UK in-house: benchmark salary for the selected role and tier (editable above); equipment and IT £500/yr; office £4,800/yr (pro-rated for part-time); benefits 5% of salary; management overhead of 2 hours a week over 46 weeks at ONS manager pay for the selected tier (£1,867 / £2,764 / £3,866 a year for Entry / Mid / Expert, full-time). Employer NI, Employment Allowance, pension, sick pay, onboarding and recruitment are not costed.
Freelancer: £22/hour at the same monthly hours; recurring cost only.
Agency: £25/hour at the same monthly hours; recurring cost only.
Ant Assist: £5/hour introductory rate for the tier’s promo period (Entry 6 / Mid 3 / Expert 1 months), then the standard rate for the selected role, tier, and working pattern.
Sources: ONS ASHE 2025 Table 14 (14.7a annual and 14.5a hourly gross pay, full-time, by occupation; 2025 provisional, 23 October 2025); Hubble, How much does office space cost across the UK; Connection Technologies, IT budget for small business UK; CIPD Reward survey: focus on employee benefits; Fast Company on Leadership IQ’s manager-time study; Hadzima (MIT), How much does an employee cost, whose 1.25 to 1.4× salary rule of thumb our in-house totals sit inside (1.25 to 1.29×) even with NI and pension excluded.