| United Kingdom General Information |
| This
information is provided as a guide. Please check with the UK authorities
for the latest information. Starting your Job Your first working day will usually be a day or two after arriving. All you need to legally start work is proof of identity and your right to work in the EU, usually your passport. You can bring your social security number too but it is not required in law. You will need a UK bank account as most employers will pay monthly by direct bank credit, you can do this during your first week. You will also need a National Insurance number; this takes several weeks and is not an immediate requirement. Opening a Bank Account You will need:- Letter from your employer. Proof of identity (usually passport). Ask your employer if they can recommend a local bank. You will also need the details and address of your bank in your home country. National Health Service Illness or accident - you are covered for treatment with UK doctors and in UK hospitals. Special medical needs - we recommend you consult with your own doctor before making a commitment. Dental treatment - difficult to obtain under the NHS. Emergency treatment is available at hospitals but get a check-up at home. Income Tax Income tax is deducted from your earnings. The single person tax rate is currently 22% up to annual earnings of £29,400. Above that it is 40%. Everybody gets a personal tax-free allowance of annual £4,535 (about £87 per week). So if you earn £200 per week, £87 will be tax-free and you would pay 22% on the remaining £113. Your tax would be about £25. National Insurance (N.I.) N.I. is deducted from your earnings. The rate of N.I. deduction is approximately 10% of earnings between £80 - £575 per week. So if you earn £200 per week you would pay about £12. Emergency Tax When you first start your job you will not have an N.I. number and you will not have a tax reference in the UK. Until you get one your employer will deduct tax from the whole amount of your earnings without any personal allowance made at all. That applies the same to UK staff. You get the overpaid tax back eventually. Getting N.I. Number You can start your job without an N.I. number but the sooner you get one the sooner your tax deductions will reduce. You will need:- Appointment with local Benefits office (can't be done by post). Letter from your employer. Proof of identity (usually passport). You will complete paperwork at the Benefits Office and then it will take about 6 weeks to get registered into the UK system. Your tax code should be corrected within about 3 months and overpaid tax will be refunded to you. Accommodation If you have accommodation provided with your job it will usually be your own room with shared facilities in staff accommodation, either on the premises where you work or nearby. Accommodation is usually basic but you will have laundry and cooking facilities although meals are normally provided on duty, sometimes off duty too. Bed linen is provided. If you do not have accommodation with your job (rarely available in London or other large cities), bedsits or shared flats are the most economical option to get started. Accommodation is expensive. You should allow between £50 - £60 per week for very basic shared flat accommodation in London, less in other parts of the country. Living Costs Cost of living in the UK is regarded as high, mostly because of the high cost of property. Living in London & South-East can cost up to 30% more than other regions. Average House price S/East: £150K, Midlands £95K, North £70K. Pint of beer: £1.50 - £2.80 Restaurant meal (3 course average quality): £15 - £25. Take-away meals - Pizza, Indian, Chinese - are good value. Cinema ticket: £5 - £6 Public Transport Plenty of public services but they don't run on time and costs are high unless you travel off-peak or ask for special deals (you will not always be offered the best deal if you don't ask for it). Local Buses - good value but crowded, £1 average short journey. Underground (London) - good value on weekly or monthly tickets, expensive to buy each trip. Trains - overpriced compared with most of Europe, London to Birmingham for instance £60 Return travelling peak time, £23 Return travelling off-peak. Coaches - good value but slower than train. National Express can do London to Birmingham £15 Return. Air - internal flights are not much more than peak time rail but getting to and from airports and check-in delays make a difference. Taxis - Black taxis are reliable but expensive, £1 - £1.50 per mile. Local taxis can be booked by phone, usually about 30% cheaper. Driving Our roads are generally congested, particularly the South East. Motorways during peak times can be reduced to 5mph speeds for several miles causing long delays. Off peak and weekends not bad but still delays where road-works in progress. If you can handle the congestion it is worth considering bringing your car across or buying one here. Overall it is more convenient and in the long term cheaper than public transport especially if you want to get about and see some of the country. Telephones & Internet Access Cell phones are cheaply available, pre-paid, better value than using your current phone on GSM (you get charged to receive calls). Some hotels allow staff internet access but most don't. Cyber cafes or local libraries provide cheap and easy access. Food & Coffee Staff meals are often fast food (not always the case) so you may want to buy fruit & veg to supplement them. A lot of instant coffee and tea is drunk in the UK, if you like good coffee buy filters and your own choice of ground. Electricity 240 volts standard but you will need adaptor to fit UK 3-pin plug socket. Climate Summer temperature can rise to 30 C, Winter can fall to -10 C. Averages throughout year are 10 - 22 C, fairly mild but wet. Residential properties are rarely air conditioned and sometimes not well insulated. Measurements Weights and measures are still shown both metric and old UK imperial format. 1 mile = 1600 metres, 1Kg = 2.2 lbs, 1Ltr = 1.75 pints. Working Hours Split shifts are normal in the UK, average working week 45 - 50 hours. UK Laws If you break the law expect to appear in a magistrate's court quickly and a fine or community work for small offences, prison sentence for serious offences. Local newspapers are likely to publish your name and address. Drinking and Driving Don't. Speeding There are speed cameras all over the UK. If you are recorded speeding you will receive an automatic fine between £60 - £150 and penalty points on your licence. You may be banned from driving if you are far above the limit. |
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