How to get National Insurance number? (United Kingdom)

If you're looking for work, starting work or setting up as self-employed you will need a National Insurance number. If you have the right to work in the UK, you will need to telephone Jobcentre Plus on Tel 0345 600 0643 (lines are open 8.00 am to 6.00 pm Monday to Friday) to arrange to get one. They may require you to attend an 'Evidence of identity' interview - see section 'What happens when you apply for a National Insurance number'.

Although you need to have a National Insurance number to start work you don't need to have a plastic National Insurance number card.

Please visit www.hmrc.gov.uk/ni/intro/number.htm or https://www.direct.gov.uk/en/MoneyTaxAndBenefits/Taxes/BeginnersGuideToTax/NationalInsurance/IntroductiontoNationalInsurance/DG_190057 for more information.

How to cash a cheque in joint name if you don't have a joint account?

Cheque in joint name but don't have a joint account?
- There are several ways of solving this problem which most commonly occurs when estate agency returns deposit to a married couple at the end of their tenancy:

• ask cheque issuer to cancel current cheque and issue another in one name (in case with estate agencies - they more likely to offer new cheques in names mentioned on the tenancy agreement dividing the owed amount on equal parts)
  or
• open a joint account (e.g. joint savings account that doesn't need a credit check)
  or
• try different branches of your bank/s until the cheque is accepted to be paid into your single account
  or
• previously it was possible to pay such cheque into a single named account as long as you were one of the joint named, and the other joint named authorised the transaction (usually by signing the back of the cheque and writing something like 'I allow my wife to have these funds and will not have access to them'). But with introduction crossing 'a/c payee', the above procedure is frequently refused.
  or
• go to a cheque cashing place (but these places charge a fee for cashing, i.e. 2-6% + handling charge fee).

How to plan a door-to-door journey (i.e. walk, car route, cycle, bus, coach, train)? (United Kingdom)

- Use very useful online tool - Transport Direct website - www.transportdirect.info - Britain's public transport journey planner and car route planner. Plus train times, flight details, travel news, car parks, bus routes, cycle routes and more.