Being new to the UK, you inevitably need information to help you find work and a place to live and to access the services that will help you. Here we offer you advice on the most important issues, laws and procedures you'll come across as a "newcomer".

Accomodation

Places to rent - either rooms, flats or houses are usually advertised in the local paper and the District Council may also be able to give you a list of agencies who rent houses. Whether looking for a room or a job, www.gumtree.com is a good source recommended and used by most of the local people. Other popular sources include www.loot.com, or www.easyroommate.com. 

Property is usually offered for rent as furnished or unfurnished. If it is unfurnished, it might be a cheaper, but you will need to find your own furniture, a factor, which can eventually work out to be more expensive. When renting a furnished room, studio or bedsit, make sure it has all the necessities (washing machine, etc.). You will usually have to pay bills for services you use in your home such as gas, electricity, telephone, water, Council tax and television licence. If you live in some rented accommodation, this may be included in your rent but you should check what you need to pay. 

By dealing with people personally you help avoid the email frauds. Make sure you (and your money) are on the safe side, never send money via Western Union or Money Gram prior to viewing the room.

Work

You can get free advice about your rights and benefits from the Citizens Advice Bureau. Offices of the Jobcentre Plus are in all major towns and they are the places where you need to go to make a claim for benefits, register for the National Insurance number, search for a job etc .

If you are a national of the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia or Slovenia you will need to register under the Worker Registration Scheme when you take work in the United Kingdom. You should read the Worker Registration Scheme section for details. Useful details on working in the UK can be found on the UK Home Office webpage.

Banks

You will need proof of your identity to open a bank account, as well as a proof of your address, which can include a bill for electricity, gas, water or phone or a Council Tax bill or your tenancy agreement. Different banks have different requirements so you should check what you need first. The major banks in the UK include HSBC bank, Standard Chartered, Barclays Bank, Lloyds Banking Group and Royal Bank of Scotland Group.

Professional and Educational Courses

With SBBC you can prepare for your career in Britain by signing up for intensive courses in different proffesional fields. The courses are free and at the end of each course you receive a British certificate. Find out more here. Beside that, internsip at SBBC has given many students an excellent learning and self-development opportunity.  

Investing into your language skills is definitely worth the effort. There are many private language schools designed to help you learn or improve your English. But even if financial constraints don’t allow you to learn English privately there are other options. Classes usually held at local colleges are often free but make sure you apply on time to secure your place. Your employer may arrange English classes for you whether at one of the centres or at your place of work. Your employer might also allow you to take time off work to attend classes. A good database of educational institutions offering various English courses in Britain can be found here.