I am planning on applying for a PhD to start in september but want to ask a question that i wouldnt really feel comfortable asking the uni.

Obviously i have no plans of dropping out of the PhD but you never know what might happen a year or two in with family and financial circumstances etc. What happens to the funnding? Do you have to pay it all back?

The financial commitment is all that i am really concerned about, currently earn around £35K and i am a bit concerned about being able to afford essentially a 50% pay cut.

Normally your funding would stop immediately that you leave the PhD. You wouldn't normally have to pay anything back from before that date.

I left a PhD 13 years ago, so have experience of this myself.

you don't have to pay it back, well I've never heard of that, it would be like paying back your salary if you wanted to quit. In terms of qualifications if you quit half way you could probably salvage an MPhil out of it.

I'm going to guess that dropping out simplifies life somewhat. Maybe even gives you the chance to succeed.