Living and working in the UK Alison Carmichael UK EURES Adviser September

Living and working in the UK  Working in the UK  Employment law  Living in the UK  Looking for work

United Kingdom  England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland  Population - 61 million  Unemployment varies across the UK average is 5%  Language - English  Welsh is spoken in some parts of Wales

Northern Ireland  Northern Ireland is part of the UK. The public employment service is:  The Department for Employment and Learning (DEL)  The Republic of Ireland is not part of the UK.The public employment service is:  FAS - the Training and Employment Authority

Job opportunities Opportunities vary across the country, but include:  Construction middle & upper management roles i.e. Quantity Surveyors, Estimators, Project Managers  Opportunities are mainly in London & South East  Dentists, Pharmacists, Specialist Nurses  Drivers – buses, heavy goods vehicles  Chefs and hotel workers  Biotechnology/Pharmaceutical vacancies  Engineering

EURES website  Find a job – search the vacancies in all EURES countries  CV-online - register your CV for employers to see  EURES advisers – details of 750+ EURES advisers

Jobcentre Plus Strongly advise people not to come to the UK if they do not have a job to start Good English is essential to work in the UK  Search for jobs online  Call the telephone jobs service, Jobseeker Direct +44 (0)  Jobcentre Plus offices are self-service with Jobpoint computers

Looking for work  UK newspapers have internet jobs sites  Visit company websites for job vacancies, company application forms and company information  Private agencies – many are registered with the Recruitment and Employment Confederation

Employment conditions and law  National Minimum Wage is:  £5.73 per hour for over 22 years, (£229 per week for 40hrs / €275)  £4.77 per hour 18 – 21 years approx (£191 per week / €229)  Working week on average is hours  Minimum holiday is 4.8 weeks (24 days if you work a 5 day week)  Your wage is usually paid monthly into a bank account  20 minute rest break is allowed if you work more than 6 hours each day National Minimum Wage Helpline:

Income Tax  Tax is deducted from wages every week or month  Tax is 20% of gross income  40% on earnings of over £36,000 (€43,200)  Self-employed people pay their own tax  P86 form on entry to UK, P85 on exit to claim tax refund

Council Tax  Council Tax is paid to the council where you live, to pay for local services  The amount you pay depends on your accommodation and family circumstances. Council tax for an average property is approximately £100 per month (€120)  Council Tax may be included in your rent. Check with your landlord

National Insurance  National Insurance is deducted from wages (11%)  The amount you pay depends on how much you earn  Self-employed people must pay their own National Insurance

National Insurance Numbers  Everyone working in the UK has a National Insurance number (NI No.)  You must apply for a number when you start work  If you have worked in the UK before, you do not need a new number  Phone to apply (Great Britain)  In Northern Ireland, contact the Jobcentre

Workers Registration Scheme  You must register within 30 days of starting work  Registration costs £90  Guidance in Hungarian available  

Example of weekly earnings If you earn £229 (€275) p/w, your employer will deduct approx:  Income Tax£25 (€32)  National Insurance£14(€17)  You will receive£190 (€233) Living expenses could include:  Rent (room)£40(€48)  Council Tax£25(€30)  Travel£10(€12)  Food / entertainment£50(€60) … but you may have to spend more – particularly in London!

E-forms (most commonly used)  European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) – entitles you to receive state-provided healthcare in the EEA. Replacement for Form E111.  E101 – if you are an employee working in two or more countries in the EEA.  E301 – record of your social security contributions which can be used to assess your entitlement to benefits in another country.  E303 – use to transfer your claim to unemployment benefit from one country to another within the EEA.

Benefit Information  Child Benefit  Working Tax Credit – further information at  Housing Benefit –leaflet HBA5DWP “Help with Your Rent”  Council Tax Benefit – leaflet CTA5DWP further information at

Accommodation  Flats one bedroomed – furnished and unfurnished £400 - £550 per month (€480 - €600)  Houses one bedroomed - furnished and unfurnished £450 - £700 per month (€540 - €840)  Rooms £250 - £400 per month (€240 - €420)  You pay one month’s rent before you move in and usually 1 month’s deposit  Large cities are more expensive and accommodation can be difficult to find

Shopping basket  Bread£1.00€1.20  Milk 3.41litres£1.90€2.30  Sandwich£2.50€3.00  Cup of coffee£1.80€2.15  Cigarettes£5.50 €6.60  Pint of beer in pub£3.00€3.60  Chocolate bar £0.60€0.74  Fish and chips£5.50 €6.60  Cinema ticket£6.00 €7.20  Short bus journey£1.50 €1.80  Football match£15 - £100€18 – €120

Health  You need a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) to use the UK National Health Service (NHS)  You can see an NHS doctor without paying  You can get NHS hospital treatment without paying  Prescribed medicines cost £7.10 (€8.50) per item  You will have to pay for spectacles and dental treatment NHS Direct

Graduates  Good written and spoken English is essential  It is hard to find media jobs  Competition is very high  Graduate vacancies are declining (more competition)  Many employers do not understand foreign qualifications  The UK does not have many work placement opportunities

Qualifications and degrees  Qualifications can differ in each European country  Some qualifications are recognised across the Europe  Some professional people must apply for UK recognition  The National Academic Recognition Information Centre, NARIC can compare your qualifications. You will need to pay for this service.

Any questions? Alison Carmichael EURES Adviser Location: Scotland Phone: 0044 (0)