1. Living and working in the UK
Alison Carmichael
UK EURES Adviser
September 2008

2. Living and working in the UK
Employment law
Living in the UK
Looking for work

3. 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

4. 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
Other useful sites for Northern Ireland include:

5. 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
Use the notes to give more details plus regional information
Opportunities are currently limited in the public health sector. However, there are opportunities in the private healthcare sector, particularly looking after elderly people.

6. 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
There are a number of agencies in the UK who recruit from Europe.
Jobcentre plus cannot recommend particular private employment agencies.

7. 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
It is illegal for UK agencies to charge you a fee to find a job
Private agencies are an important source of jobs in the UK. Details can be found under Employment Agencies or Personnel Consultants in the Yellow Pages The Recruitment and Employment Confederation site allows you to search for agencies by employment type/activity or by the name of the company.
Newspapers are an important medium for job hunters in the UK. Listed below are newspaper websites that feature vacancy details.
Guardian
Daily Telegraph
Evening Standard
Financial Times
Local/regional papers
Scotsman
These newspapers, along with the Times and the Independent advertise professional appointments in teaching, business, law and social work. Local newspapers carry advertisements for all types of local jobs. Speculative applications and searching through other employment websites such as and company websites are further useful jobsearch techniques.
All Trades Unions belong to the TUC. The TUC website is

8. 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:
Home > Business Advice > National Minimum Wage > WHAT IS THE National Minimum Wage?
National Minimum Wage
The National Minimum Wage helpline on Tel
The National Minimum Wage will increase again in October 2007
The minimum wage is a legal right which covers almost all workers above compulsory school leaving age. There are different minimum wage rates for different groups of workers as follows:
On 1 October 2007 the main rate will increase to £5.52 (226.32czk)
The development rate for year olds will increase on 1 October 2007 to £ CZK
Its important to understand that ofsets apply for accommodation purposes but there are legal limits to offsets.
Average Working week is hours. Maximum is 48
Minimum holiday is four weeks/20 days/bank
holidays
For further information about employment legislation
in the UK the Department of Trade and Industry. Their Advice, Conciliation and Arbitration Service – ACAS 0- offer advice to employers and employees about all aspects of employment law. They helpline is 0800 xxxxxxxx
ACAS can give advice if you think you are being treated unfairly
You have the right to join a Trade Union but there is not always a Trade Union in all workplaces
All Trades Unions belong to the TUC. The TUC website is
Gangmasters – be aware of GLA.

9. 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
PAYE - Pay As You Earn system - Employers deduct tax from wages
You can earn £4,895 before you pay tax. How much you pay depends on your wages.
Starting rate 10% £0 - 2,090
Basic rate 22% £2, ,400
Higher rate 40% Over £32,400
Self-employed people pay their own tax and National Insurance
Visit Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) at
The tax year is April to March
Forms:
P86 is issued when you arrive in the UK
P85 is issued when you leave in the UK
P45 is issued when you leave a job in the UK
P60 is issued at the end of each tax year (April)when you arrive in the UK

10. 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

11. 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 Contributions are a tax on income to pay for social security and welfare benefits and pensions
Employers also pay National Insureance for each employee

12. 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
There is now a single national number to ring. They will arrange to send the application form and arrange an interview.

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

14. 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!

15. Benefit Information Child Benefit www.hmrc.gov.uk/childbenefit
Working Tax Credit – further information at
Housing Benefit –leaflet HBA5DWP “Help with Your Rent”
Council Tax Benefit – leaflet CTA5DWP further information at

16. 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

17. 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 £ €6.60
Pint of beer in pub £3.00 €3.60
Chocolate bar £0.60 €0.74
Fish and chips £ €6.60
Cinema ticket £ €7.20
Short bus journey £ €1.80
Football match £15 - £100 €18 – €120
Remember you will need to extra money when you first arrive in the UK
6 eggs: 0.70p – 29 CZK
Chicken: £3.50 – 144 CZK
500g minced beef: £3.98 – CZK
Bottle of wine from: £3.00 – 123 CZK
Bus journey: £2- £3 per day CZK
Petrol: 0.95p per litre 39 CZK
Train from London to Edinburgh: £ – 2870 CZK
Coach from London to Edinburgh/Glasgow: £20 820CZK
REMEMBER NO SMOKING IN INDOOR PUBLIC PLACES FROM 1 JULY 2007

18. 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
NHS – National Health Service – free healthcare for people living in the UK.
NHS Dentists are hard to find in the UK. Most dentists are private and charge more.
Department of Health -
NHS Direct is a free telephone service to call if you are ill and do not know what to do. They will advice you to go to a doctor or a hospital – or how to care for yourself

19. 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
The ability to speak English is essential for most vacancies in the UK and at graduate level you would probably be expected to be fluent
IT sector is still experiencing growth however this is slowing down compared to the previous 10 years
Increased numbers of young people in the UK are entering tertiary or higher education and therefore competition is very high.
The number of graduate vacancies is declining as many companies are recruiting at entry-level positions.
NARIC will do a comparison of your qualifications for a fee
Because the UK does not have many intern opportunities, you may need to apply direct to employers to see if they are interested
The British council may by able to help –

20. 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.
Teachers require Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) - the UK Government's professional standard for teaching - to work in England and Wales. There is an agreement in place to recognise teaching qualifications across the EU. For information on accredited EU qualifications and to obtain the QTS application form (EC1) contact the GTCE (General Teaching Council for England).
Tel:
A website aimed at overseas teachers is
The Teacher Training Agency site contains useful information on teaching with links to other sites of interest to teachers.
Recruitment of teachers in the UK is carried out individually by schools, or in some cases, through a local education authority pool. Other useful sites include include:
and

21. Any questions? Alison Carmichael EURES Adviser Location: Scotland
Phone: (0)
alison.carmichael @jobcentreplus.gsi.gov.uk