Your questions answered
Straight answers to the questions people actually ask — with the short answer first and a link to the full guide for the detail. 314 questions and counting.
Benefits & Support(30)
- What happens to my Universal Credit if I start working?
- Can you claim PIP and still work?
- Can I work and still get Carer's Allowance?
- Can you get Attendance Allowance if you live in a care home?
- Can I get the State Pension if I have not worked much?
- How long do Universal Credit sanctions last?
- How long does a Mandatory Reconsideration take?
- Can I get a benefit overpayment written off?
- Does having savings disqualify me from Pension Credit?
- Is it worth claiming Child Benefit if I earn over £60,000?
- Can I claim New Style ESA if I have savings over £16,000?
- Can I claim Universal Credit if I am off sick from work?
- Can I still claim Housing Benefit?
- How long does a benefit tribunal appeal take?
- How much is the benefit cap?
- Are there any exceptions to the two-child limit?
- How do I get a Discretionary Housing Payment?
- Why have I stopped getting the Winter Fuel Payment?
- How much is the Healthy Start card worth?
- Can I claim DLA for my child without a diagnosis?
- What can I claim if I do not qualify for Statutory Maternity Pay?
- How much does the Funeral Expenses Payment cover?
- How long can I claim New Style JSA for?
- What is the Minimum Income Floor?
- Why does Universal Credit not cover all of my rent?
- Will my PIP stop while my review is being decided?
- What happens if I miss my Migration Notice deadline?
- Can I get help with my council tax bill?
- How much is Bereavement Support Payment?
- Do I have to tell the DWP about an inheritance?
Complaints & Ombudsmen(20)
- How long does a company have to respond to my complaint?
- What is a deadlock letter and how do I get one?
- Is an ombudsman’s decision legally binding?
- How long does the Financial Ombudsman take to decide a complaint?
- What is the difference between a regulator and an ombudsman?
- What happens if I ignore a private parking charge?
- How do I complain about my council to the Ombudsman?
- Can my broadband provider increase prices mid-contract?
- How much compensation can the Energy Ombudsman award?
- Can the Ombudsman make my council pay me compensation?
- How long do I have to take my complaint to an ombudsman?
- What should I put in a complaint letter?
- What can I do if my insurance claim is rejected?
- Can I get compensation if my water supply is cut off?
- How do I complain about my solicitor?
- How do I complain about the police?
- How much compensation can the Housing Ombudsman award?
- How long do I have to apply for judicial review?
- Who do I complain to about my pension?
- How do I complain about the DWP or Universal Credit?
Housing & Renting(30)
- Can my landlord evict me without a reason?
- How quickly can a landlord evict me?
- How long does my landlord have to return my deposit?
- What can I claim if my landlord never protected my deposit?
- Can I withhold rent if my landlord won't do repairs?
- Is mould my fault for not ventilating, or my landlord's responsibility?
- How much can my landlord increase my rent by?
- Can my landlord enter my home without my permission?
- Can I stop an eviction by paying off my rent arrears?
- Does sofa surfing count as being homeless?
- When was Section 21 abolished?
- What can I do if my landlord changed the locks while I was out?
- How much notice do I have to give my landlord?
- What fees can a letting agent charge me?
- How much can I claim in a rent repayment order?
- How much Right to Buy discount can I get?
- How much does it cost to extend a lease?
- Can I challenge my service charge?
- How do we take over the management of our block of flats?
- Can I stop my home being repossessed?
- How long can the council keep me in temporary accommodation?
- How long is the council housing waiting list?
- Does my house share need an HMO licence?
- How much compensation can I get for housing disrepair?
- Can I take in a lodger or sublet my rented home?
- Can a landlord refuse to rent to me because I do not have a British passport?
- What can I do about antisocial neighbours?
- Can I take over a council tenancy when the tenant dies?
- Do landlords have to register on a database?
- How does staircasing work in shared ownership?
Employment Rights(30)
- Can my employer sack me for being off sick?
- Are bank holidays included in my 28 days of holiday?
- Can you be off sick during your notice period?
- Can I be made redundant while on maternity leave?
- How long do you have to work somewhere to claim unfair dismissal?
- Do apprentices get the minimum wage?
- Can my employer refuse a flexible working request?
- How much does it cost to go to an Employment Tribunal?
- Do you get sick pay on a zero-hours contract?
- Can I be dismissed without reason during my probation period?
- Can I claim constructive dismissal with less than two years' service?
- Will I pay tax on my settlement agreement payment?
- How long does Acas early conciliation take?
- How much redundancy pay will I get?
- How much compensation can an employment tribunal award?
- What is a protective award?
- Who can I take with me to a disciplinary hearing?
- How do I raise a formal grievance at work?
- How much carer’s leave can I take?
- Am I protected if I report wrongdoing at work?
- Is workplace bullying illegal?
- Can a job offer be withdrawn because I am pregnant?
- What counts as a reasonable adjustment at work?
- What happens to my job if the business is sold?
- Is a non-compete clause enforceable?
- How do I find out if I am being paid less than a colleague?
- Does my employer have to prevent sexual harassment?
- Am I a worker or self-employed?
- When should I receive my final pay after leaving a job?
- Is paternity leave a day-one right?
Business Compliance(18)
- What happens if you miss the Companies House filing deadline?
- Do you need to register with the ICO?
- Is a cookie banner legally required on my website?
- Which pays less tax — a sole trader or a limited company?
- What happens if you employ someone without the right to work?
- How long do you need to keep business records?
- When do I have to register for VAT?
- How much corporation tax will my company pay?
- What is the penalty for filing a Self Assessment return late?
- Do I have to put my staff into a workplace pension?
- When do I need to register for PAYE as an employer?
- Do I need employers’ liability insurance?
- Can I challenge my client’s IR35 status determination?
- How long does a DBS check take?
- Do I have to pay business rates if I work from home?
- Do I need a written health and safety policy?
- What do I need to do before hiring my first employee?
- When does Making Tax Digital start for sole traders?
Grants & Funding(18)
- Do you have to pay tax on business grants?
- What is the difference between a grant and a loan?
- Who qualifies for the Boiler Upgrade Scheme?
- How do you apply for Access to Work and how long does it take?
- What is the difference between SEIS and EIS?
- Do you have to pay back crowdfunding money?
- How do I spot a grant scam?
- Can my small business claim R&D tax credits?
- How much can I borrow from the Start Up Loans scheme?
- What documents do grant funders ask for?
- What is match funding and where can it come from?
- How do I apply for National Lottery funding for a community project?
- Who pays for an apprenticeship?
- Am I eligible for a business grant?
- How do I get funding to repair a historic building?
- Where can I get free business advice and help finding grants?
- What happens if a grant-funded project goes wrong?
- How much equity should I give an angel investor?
Immigration & Visas(26)
- How long does ILR take?
- What is the minimum salary for a Skilled Worker visa?
- How much do I need to earn to sponsor my partner's visa?
- How much is the Immigration Health Surcharge?
- Can I appeal if my UK visa is refused?
- How do I prove my immigration status without a BRP?
- Can I switch from the Graduate Route to a Skilled Worker visa?
- How long after ILR can I apply for British citizenship?
- How long can I stay in the UK on a visitor visa?
- Can I work on a student visa?
- How do I prove my relationship is genuine for a spouse visa?
- Is the super priority visa service worth it?
- Can I switch visa without leaving the UK?
- What is administrative review of a visa decision?
- What score do I need to pass the Life in the UK test?
- How long does naturalisation take?
- What English test do I need for a UK visa?
- Can I bring my family to the UK as dependants?
- Can I get indefinite leave to remain after 10 years in the UK?
- What is the difference between the 5-year and 10-year partner route?
- Can I still apply to the EU Settlement Scheme?
- Can asylum seekers work in the UK?
- What help can I get if I have no recourse to public funds?
- How long does a sponsor licence take?
- What happens if my visa is curtailed?
- How long does an Upper Tribunal asylum appeal take?
Care & Later Life(24)
- Will I have to sell my house to pay for care?
- Can I give my house to my children to avoid care costs?
- Has the £86,000 care cap started yet?
- Can someone with dementia still make a lasting power of attorney?
- Can a care home increase fees after you move in?
- Can you pay a family member to provide your care?
- How do I get a care needs assessment?
- How much savings can I have before paying for care?
- How do I challenge a refusal of NHS continuing healthcare?
- What is CHC fast track?
- What is NHS-funded nursing care worth?
- What is a deferred payment agreement?
- Can a care home ask my family for a top-up fee?
- How much is a Disabled Facilities Grant?
- What is a carer’s assessment?
- How do I arrange respite care?
- How do I make an advance decision to refuse treatment?
- What happens if someone loses capacity without an LPA?
- How is mental capacity assessed?
- Who decides what is in someone’s best interests?
- How do I report concerns about an adult at risk?
- How do I complain about a care home?
- Can a hospital discharge someone before care is arranged?
- What should I look for when choosing a care home?
Debt & Money Problems(20)
- Can bailiffs force entry into my home?
- How long does a CCJ stay on my credit file?
- Does a debt disappear after six years?
- Can I go to prison for not paying council tax?
- What is the difference between a DMP, an IVA and a DRO?
- Will I lose my home if I go bankrupt?
- Will my bank refund me if I was tricked into transferring money to a scammer?
- How do I stop debt collectors harassing me?
- What is Breathing Space and how do I get it?
- Who qualifies for a debt relief order?
- Which debts should I pay first?
- What should I do if I receive a statutory demand?
- When can I claim from my credit card company under Section 75?
- How long do I have to claim a chargeback?
- How do I fix a mistake on my credit report?
- Is there a minimum debt for an IVA?
- How do I get a CCJ marked as satisfied or cancelled?
- Can I pay my tax bill in instalments?
- Can a charging order force me to sell my home?
- How much can be taken from my wages for a debt?
Family & Relationships(17)
- At what age can a child choose which parent to live with?
- Do you need a solicitor to get divorced?
- What happens to the family home in a divorce?
- Do unmarried couples get legal rights after living together for years?
- Can I get half my spouse’s pension when we divorce?
- Does a father who is not on the birth certificate have parental responsibility?
- How is child maintenance calculated?
- How do I get a non-molestation order?
- Is a civil partnership the same as marriage?
- Do I need a consent order after divorce?
- Do I have to go to mediation before applying to the family court?
- How much does a divorce cost?
- Are prenuptial agreements legally binding in England and Wales?
- What happens if the council applies to take my child into care?
- How do I get a Forced Marriage Protection Order?
- How long do financial remedy proceedings take?
- How long does it take to get a child arrangements order?
Victims of Crime(5)
Wills, Probate & Inheritance(17)
- How long does probate take?
- Do you need a solicitor to make a will?
- Does an unmarried partner inherit if there is no will?
- Can an executor charge for their time?
- How much does it cost to contest a will?
- Are pensions subject to inheritance tax?
- How much does probate cost?
- Who can witness a will?
- Can I refuse to be an executor?
- How long do I have to contest a will?
- Who can make an Inheritance Act claim?
- How much does a lasting power of attorney cost?
- Can a will be changed after someone dies?
- How much does a spouse inherit if there is no will?
- What happens to my cryptocurrency and online accounts when I die?
- How does the 7-year rule on gifts work?
- How much can you inherit before paying inheritance tax?
Health & NHS(17)
- Can a GP practice refuse to register me?
- What can I do if I have waited more than 18 weeks for NHS treatment?
- How do I complain about NHS treatment?
- Who gets free NHS prescriptions?
- Can a dentist refuse to take me on as an NHS patient?
- How do I get a copy of my medical records?
- How much is an NHS prescription?
- How much does NHS dental treatment cost?
- What are my rights as an NHS patient?
- How do I get NHS therapy for anxiety or depression?
- Can I mix private and NHS treatment?
- What can I do with the NHS App?
- How do I challenge an NHS Continuing Healthcare refusal?
- What happens when the Ombudsman investigates an NHS complaint?
- Can my GP remove me from their patient list?
- When is an inquest held after a death?
- How long should I wait for cancer treatment on the NHS?
Education & Schools(16)
- How do I appeal if my child does not get a school place?
- Can I be fined for taking my child on holiday in term time?
- What can I do if the council refuses to assess my child for an EHCP?
- Can I challenge my child's permanent exclusion from school?
- Who qualifies for free school meals?
- How are school places allocated?
- What is SEN support and how do I get it for my child?
- How long does an EHCP take to be issued?
- Do I have to tell the council if I home educate my child?
- How do I appeal to the SEND Tribunal?
- Is my child entitled to free school transport?
- How do I challenge a Student Finance decision?
- When do I start repaying a Plan 5 student loan?
- Can I complain about my university to the OIA?
- What happens if my nursery or childminder closes?
- Is a T Level equivalent to A Levels?
Driving & Vehicles(5)
Travel & Consumer(6)
- How much compensation can I claim for a delayed flight?
- What are my rights if the airline loses my luggage?
- How long do I have to return faulty goods?
- Can I cancel an online order after it has arrived?
- My parcel never arrived — is the retailer or the courier responsible?
- Am I protected if my holiday company goes bust?