Living and Working in the United Kingdom

Quick links: Accommodation / Bank Accounts / Phones / Healthcare / Pay & Bens / Tax / Visas / Travel

Accommodation

There's a vast amount of accommodation to rent and buy in London and across the UK in every price range and area. Before choosing where to live, it's advisable to check the public transport services, especially if you're commuting to a job from the suburbs.

ented accommodation is available from three main providers: private landlords, local councils and housing associations. Private landlords will normally rent their property at the market rate, with their right to increase the rent dependent on the type of tenancy. Make sure you get a tenancy agreement and read it carefully before committing to it.

private landlord will normally ask for a deposit. You should make sure that the condition of the property and any items of furniture are recorded in an inventory. You should also check that the tenancy agreement states: how much the deposit is and who holds it; when money can be deducted from the deposit (for unpaid rent or damage to property); when you will get the deposit back.

ou can contact your local council to see if they have a list of accredited landlords in your area. You can also search for a letting agent who is registered with the government backed National Approved Letting Scheme.

You can find information on properties in London and around the UK at the following sites - whether you want to rent with a friend, flat share or buy:

Useful websites

Useful newspapers

London Metro
Evening Standard
London Loot

All real estate agencies also produce rental lists. A helpful list of London estate agents can be viewed at: www.uk250.co.uk/LondonEstateAgents. Always choose an agent which is a member of a professional organisation, such as the National Association of Estate Agents (www.maea.co.uk)

Bank Accounts

There are two types of bank account for managing everyday money: a basic bank account and a current account. Banks also offer a range of accounts designed for medium or longer-term savings. Savings or 'term' accounts usually pay more interest.

A typical current account will offer:

A cheque book.
A cheque guarantee card - making cheques more widely acceptable.
A debit card - some allow payments without checking your account.
Direct debits - automatic bill payments direct from your account.
Standing orders - regular set payments from your account to someone of your choice.
Bankers' automated clearing service (BACS) - the facility to accept payments directly into your account, or for you to make one-off payments to someone else.
Overdraft facility - the bank may allow you to go overdrawn up to a certain amount. You need to arrange this in advance and charges apply.

Some current accounts pay interest on money you leave in the account, but the rate is usually low.

asic bank accounts differ in that they don’t provide a cheque book and there is no overdraft facility. Banks also offer a wide range of savings accounts. The main differences being how quickly you can access your money, the minimum amount required to keep the account open and the type and rate of interest rate paid.

he major banks with branches throughout the UK (called 'high street' banks) include Abbey, Barclays, Lloyds TSB, HSBC and Natwest.

There are also telephone banks (including www.firstdirect.com) that don't have branches and are 'open' 24 hours. Most banks have websites and offer online banking. You can also try online banks such as www.egg.com and www.smile.co.uk.

Maestro cards - Can be used at ATMs and as debit cards in shops (chip and pin) Credit cards - if your UK credit history is good or your home bank is affiliated, you may be able to obtain a credit card for use in the UK.

Mobile phones

The main mobile phone providers in The UK are Vodafone, Orange, O2, T-mobile, Virgin

Healthcare

You can access the UK's National Health Service (NHS) in a number of ways:

our General Practitioner provides general medical advice and treatment, prescriptions, referral to a specialist or a hospital, immunisations and tests. To register with a surgery, speak to the receptionist.

Pharmacists, or chemists as they are often called, are experts on medicines. They will prepare prescriptions for you as issued by your doctor. Pharmacists can also give advice on treatments that can be bought over the counter.

NHS walk-in centres offer confidential advice and treatment for minor injuries and illnesses. Staffed by experienced nurses, they are open seven days a week, from early until late, and you do not need an appointment.

If you are seriously ill and need emergency care, you can go straight to an Accident and Emergency (A & E) Department at a hospital near you. Alternatively, you can call 999 for an emergency ambulance.

To find GP surgeries, opticians, dental practices, chemists/pharmacies, NHS Walk-in Centres and hospitals in your area, call NHS Direct on 0845 46 47 or visit the NHS website.

In general, private treatment is extremely expensive so you should register with the National Health Services (NHS) as soon as you have found somewhere to live. Call NHS Direct for a list of GPs in your area or use the NHS drop-in centres which are dotted around the city.
Dentists can also be NHS registered, but you will need to pay 75% of the cost of your treatment as only the basics are covered.

Visit www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk or call 0845 4647 for more information.

Pay & Benefits

In addition to fair pay, many UK employees enjoy a range of benefits: performance related pay linked to your salary or your individual performance, that of your team, of the business as a whole or all of the above. It can be given as an alternative to, or as well as, an annual bonus, with the amount dependent on the type and level of work you do.

Flexible benefit schemes enable you to choose perks that suit you. Tax efficient benefits, such as childcare vouchers and salary sacrifice pension contributions are very popular. Some employers design their own share scheme, but most prefer to make use of favourable tax treatment available through the Inland Revenue (Save As You Earn).

Permanent Health Insurance covers you and in some cases your family, in the event of long term illness or death. Wellness perks include gym membership and health screening.

Tax

You pay Income Tax on: your wages if you're employed; the profits from your business if you're self-employed; interest on savings; income from shares; rental income; money paid from a trust. Not all income is taxable and you’re only taxed on income above a certain threshold level.

Everyone who is resident in the UK for tax purposes has a ‘personal allowance’ which is the amount of income they can earn or receive each year tax-free. This tax year (2008-2009) the allowance is £5,435. After this the amount of tax you pay is calculated accordingly:
20% on income up to £36,000 and 40% on income over £36,001.

Your employer is responsible for deducting tax and National Insurance from your salary before you receive it. This system is called Pay As You Earn (PAYE). Each payday, your employer should give you a pay-slip. It's a receipt for the tax you've paid, showing details of your earnings before tax (your gross pay), Income Tax and National Insurance Contributions (NICs).

You pay National Insurance contributions (NICs) to build up your entitlement to certain social security benefits, including the State Pension. The type and level of NIC you pay depends on how much you earn and whether you're employed or self employed.

Your National Insurance number (NI number) is your own personal account number ensuring that the National Insurance contributions and tax you pay are properly recorded on your account. It also acts as a reference number for the whole social security system.

If you don't already have an NI number you must apply for one as soon as you start work. Telephone the Helpline on 0845 600 0643 or for more information, visit www.hmrc.gov.uk.

Visas

You will need to show proof of your right to work. If you want to work and you’re not a British citizen or a citizen of one of the European Economic Area (EEA) countries, you may need a visa before you travel.

If you have to get a visa, you'll need to be cleared by officials at a British Overseas Mission in your country of origin. Once cleared, the visa will be put into your passport or travel document.
If you're from one of the new European Union member, or 'accession', states you may need to register with the Home Office under the Worker Registration Scheme. From 29 February 2008, any highly skilled foreign national working in Britain who wants to extend their stay will need to apply under a new points-based system.

If you're from an EEA country, you'll need to show a prospective employer your passport, national identity card or Home Office Residence Permit. Employers can face unlimited fines if they employ illegal workers. To protect themselves against discrimination laws they must treat all job applicants equally - don't be offended if you're asked to prove your nationality.

If you're not from an EEA country or Switzerland, you're likely to need a work permit. You'll need a UK-based employer to do this for you. How long your permit lasts, will depend on the work you do and the type of permit applied for.

Travel

If you hold a valid international driver's licence you can drive for up to 12 months in the UK. If you plan to stay in the UK for longer than 12 months it is recommended that you obtain a UK licence. The application form is called a D100 and is available at any Post Office.
All of the UK drives on the left and a car will get you pretty much anywhere. Parking can be a challenge and expensive in larger cities, especially in London. Petrol is heavily taxed and therefore also expensive.

Traffic can be very heavy, especially during 'rush hour', when commuters are on their way to and from work. To counteract this rush hour phenomenon, many cities operate a "Park and Ride" scheme, with car parks on the edge of the city and cheap buses into the city centre. Many cities and large towns also offer cheap travel cards for use on the buses.

Coaches are a popular low cost option for longer distance travel in Britain. Though cheaper than rail travel, they tend to be slower and less frequent. The largest coach companies in the UK are National Express, CityLink and Megabus.

The UK has an extensive, privatised train network that covers most of the country. As a general rule, tickets should be booked as early as possible to get the best deal. They can, however, be bought on the spot, from any station, for travel to and from anywhere on the network.

The best place to find train times and fares and to book in advance is the National Rail Website. Alternatively call 08457 484950 from anywhere in the UK.

London has one of the most comprehensive public transport systems in the world. Despite Londoners constant grumbling about unreliability, the Tube, Docklands Light Railway, Tramlink and London Overground are far more reliable than locals would have you believe. Indeed, nearly a third of households do not feel the need to own a car.

Taxis - London is famous for its black taxis. They all have a yellow 'for hire' sign on the top and a white license plate on the back. Taxis are quite expensive and fares vary according to the day and time.

Transport for London (TFL) is a government organisation responsible for all public transport. Visit their website. It contains maps plus an excellent journey planner. They also offer a 24-hour travel information line with route advice and up to the minute information on services.
Oyster is an electronic smart card run by TFL which enables travellers to switch between modes of transport on one ticket. You can "charge up" an Oyster card with electronic funds. This cash is then deducted according to where you travel.

The cost of a single trip using the Oyster card is less than buying a single ticket outright. Many commuters also travel around London by bicycle which is a great way to get to know and enjoy the city.

You will inevitably fly into London even if you intend to work elsewhere within the UK. Getting to London from most countries is relatively easy as it's served by all the world's major airlines. London has five international airports (City, Gatwick, Heathrow, Luton and Stansted), which provide services to all major domestic and international destinations.

For more information on London transport, fares, maps and routes, please visit www.tfl.gov.uk/tfl