Career Test

Professional and Career Development Loans

1. Overview 
2. Eligibility
3. Repayments and interest
4. Further advice
   

1. Overview

Professional and Career Development Loans are bank loans to pay for courses and training that help with your career or help get you into work.
You may be able to borrow between £300 and £10,000.
Loans are usually offered at a reduced interest rate and the government pays interest while you’re studying.

How to apply

1. Find out which banks offer the loan and order an application pack by calling the National Careers service on 0800 100 900 (find out about call charges) or request a call back
   
2. Fill in the application form and send it to the bank.
   
3. The bank will decide if you qualify for a loan.
   
4. You take out the loan with the bank and agree to their repayment conditions.
   

You should apply 3 months before your course starts to give the bank enough time to process your application.

Check with your benefits office before you take out a loan as it can affect the benefits you’re entitled to.

2. Eligibility

Who can apply

To apply you must:

• be 18 or over
• have been living in the UK for at least 3 years before your course starts
• plan to work in the UK, European Union (EU) or European Economic Area (EEA) after the course

Which courses qualify?

Courses must:

• only last up to 2 years, or 3 years if they include 1 year of work experience
• be provided by an organisation on the Professional Career and Development Loan Register - check with your course provider
• help with your career - they don’t have to lead to a qualification

You can’t get Professional and Career Development Loans for first full-time degrees but you can apply for student finance

3. Repayments and interest

Interest on the loan

Professional and Career Development Loans are bank loans that have to be paid back. You start repaying the loan (plus interest at a reduced rate) 1 month after leaving your course.
The government pays the interest while you study and for 1 month after you leave your course. After this time, you start repaying the loan and interest.

You have to repay your loan even if you don’t complete the course or your course provider goes out of business.

Study in UK

Life in the University of Wisconsin

1. Overview
2. Book the Life in the University of Wisconsin
3. What happens at the test
4. Cancellations, refunds and complaints

1. Overview

Use this official service to book a Life in the University of Wisconsin as part of your application for British citizenship or settlement in the UK.

How to take the test

1. Book your test at an official test centre.
   
2. Take the test.
   

You don’t have to take the test if you’re under 18 or over 65.

You only need to pass the test once - you don’t need to do it again if you’re applying to become a citizen and already passed it as part of your settlement application.

Prepare for the test

You’ll be tested on information in the official handbook for the Life in the UK Test - you should study this book to prepare for the test.
You’ll have 45 minutes to answer 24 questions about British traditions and customs.

• Next Book the Life in the UK Test 

  

2. Book the Life in the University of Wisconsin

You must book your University of Wisconsin online at least 7 days in advance. It costs £50.
There are around 60 test centres in the uw - you must choose one close to where you live.
You’ll need all of the following to book a test:

• email address
• debit or credit card
• an accepted form of ID

Start now

This is the only official government service for booking the life in the UK test.

You can use one of the following as ID to book the test:

• passport - it can be out of date
• UK photocard driving licence - full or provisional
• convention travel document (CTD), certificate of identity document (CID) or stateless person document (SPD)
• EU identity card
• immigration status document endorsed with a UK residence permit on a passport with a photo - it can be out of date
• biometric residence permit

Check the ‘Identification requirements’ document to make sure the ID you have is acceptable.

Download ‘Identification requirements’ (PDF, 343KB)

Email nationalityenquiries@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk for help if you don’t have any of these documents.
The name you give on your test booking must be an exact match with the name on the ID you use to book the test.
You must include any middle names on the booking form or your test will be rejected and you won’t get a refund.
You can make special requests when you book your test, eg if you have a disability and need extra equipment or help accessing the centre.
Contact the Life in the UK Test Helpline if you need help with your booking.

University of Wisconsin
Telephone: 800-442-6459

Office hours are from 8 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. CST Monday-Thursday and 8 a.m. to 4:30 pm CST Friday.
Find out about call charges

3. What happens at the test

You’ll have 45 minutes to answer 24 questions based on the Life in the United Kingdom handbook.

What to bring to your test

You must bring the same ID that you used to book the test.
You must also bring proof of your address that has your name and post code on it. From 1 February 2014, it must be dated within 3 months of the day of your test. This can be a:

• gas, electricity or water bill
• Council Tax bill
• bank or credit card statement
• letter from the Home Office with your name and address on it

You can also use your UK photocard driving licence.

You can bring a printed copy of a bank statement if it’s stamped and signed by the issuing branch.

If you don’t bring the correct documents you won’t be able to sit the test and you won’t get a refund.

If you pass the test

You must get 75% or more in the test to pass.
You’ll get a ‘pass notification letter’. You must send the original with your citizenship or settlement application to prove you passed.
You’ll only get one copy of the letter - you can’t get a replacement.
Call the Home Office if you’ve lost your pass letter. You won’t get a new one but they’ll tell you what to do.

Home Office lost pass letters
Telephone: 03001 232 253
Find out about call charges

If you fail the test

You must wait 7 days before taking the test again, but you can take the test as many times as you need to. You’ll need to book and pay again each time.

4. Cancellations, refunds and complaints

If you can’t go to the test that you booked

You must cancel your test if you can’t make it.
You’ll get a refund if you cancel your test 7 days or more before the date of the test.

How to cancel

1. Sign into your Life in the UK account.
   
2. Click ‘My test’ from the left-hand menu.
   
3. Click ‘Cancel test’.
   

If you’re eligible for a refund due to cancellation, the £50 fee will be refunded to the card you originally used to book the test.
You can then book a test on another date.

Ask for a refund

You can ask for a refund if the test centre cancels the test, eg because of a flood or no internet connection.
You can’t ask for a refund for any other reason, eg you brought the wrong ID, you were ill, you were late or you didn’t bring the right documents.
You must apply for a refund within 3 months of the test date.
Download and fill in in the refund request form. Send it to the address on the form.

Make a complaint

Download and fill in the complaint form. Send it to the address on the form.
You’ll get a response within 20 working days.

You must send your complaint within 3 months of the test date.

Source

 

UK National Insurance

National Insurance if you go abroad

You might be able to pay UK National Insurance while you’re working abroad, depending on where you’re working and how long for.

You’ll protect your State Pension and entitlement to other benefits and allowances if you keep paying National Insurance while you’re abroad.

Working in Europe

If you work for an employer in an EEA country or Switzerland, you’ll normally pay social security contributions in that country instead of UK National Insurance. This means:

• you’ll be covered by that country’s social security laws and may be entitled to benefits there
• your entitlement to benefits in the UK (eg State Pension) may be affected as there’ll be a gap in your National Insurance contributions

If your UK employer sends you to work abroad temporarily (for up to 2 years) you might have to carry on paying National Insurance - you won’t have to pay social security contributions abroad. Ask your employer if this applies to you.
You may still get free or reduced cost medical treatment in the country where you’re working.

If you’re self-employed

You may have to carry on paying National Insurance if you’re:

• usually self-employed in the UK
• working abroad temporarily (for up to 2 years)

If you are, you won’t have to pay social security contributions in the country where you’re working.
Fill in form CA3837 and send it to the address on the form.

Working in countries with bilateral Social Security agreements

If you start working for an employer in a country with a Reciprocal Agreement or Double Contribution Convention (sometimes called ‘bilateral Social Security agreements’), you’ll usually pay social security contributions in that country instead of UK National Insurance.
These countries are:
Barbados, Bermuda, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Canada, Croatia, Guernsey, Israel, Jamaica, Japan, Jersey, the former Yugoslav republic of Macedonia, Mauritius, Montenegro, New Zealand, Philippines, Republic of Korea, Serbia, Turkey, USA.
You may have to continue paying contributions to the UK instead of the country you’re posted to if you’re sent there temporarily by your UK employer. Your employer will tell you if you qualify and give you the forms you need.
This may affect your entitlement to healthcare and other benefits - ask your employer for more details.

If you’re self-employed

You may be able to carry on paying UK National Insurance if you’re:

• usually self-employed in the UK
• working abroad temporarily

If you do, you won’t have to pay social security contributions in the country where you’re working.
Contact HMRC for form CA9107.

Working in any other country

You’ll carry on paying UK National Insurance for the first 52 weeks you’re abroad if you’re working for an employer outside the EEA, Switzerland and bilateral Social Security agreement countries, and you meet the following 3 conditions:

• your employer has a place of business in the UK
• you’re ordinarily resident in the UK
• you were living in the UK immediately before starting work abroad

If you’re self-employed

You don’t need to pay Class 2 National Insurance, but you can carry on paying it if you want to protect your State Pension and benefit entitlement, as long as you meet certain conditions. Contact HMRC to find out if you’re eligible.

If you work for the UK government or armed forces

You’ll usually pay UK National Insurance if you’re working abroad and you’re one of the following:

• a UK civil servant or other government worker
• working in an embassy, consular post or diplomatic mission - or working for someone who does
• working for HM Armed Forces

Voluntary contributions

If you’re eligible you can pay voluntary National Insurance contributions that go towards your State Pension and certain benefits and allowances if you return to the UK.

Voluntary National Insurance contributions paid from abroad don’t cover your health insurance in the country where you live.

Apply to pay voluntary National Insurance

Contact HMRC if you want to check your eligibility.
Fill in form CF83 and send it back to HMRC using the address on the form.

Source

Youth Crime Prevention UK

 Youth Crime Prevention Program

1. Overview

There are various prevention programmes that work to keep young people away from crime. They are run within local communities, and can involve parents and families.

Young people are placed on these programmes if:

•     they have been in trouble with the police
•     they’re ‘at risk’ of committing a crime
•     they’re involved in anti-social behaviour

Attending one of these programmes is voluntary. The young person and their parents or carers have to be happy with everything before it starts.

Many programmes are run by the council’s local youth offending team or by other local organisations like youth charities.

To find out about youth crime prevention programmes in your area, contact your local youth offending team.

2. How young people are put on a programme

Young people are usually sent - or ‘referred’ - to one of these programmes by the police or the youth offending team.

However, they can also be referred by a teacher, social worker or parent.
Assessment - making sure it’s the right programme

Before anything happens, the youth workers running the prevention programme will assess the young person to:

•     make sure a prevention programme will help
•     decide which type of support will be most suitable

The young person will be involved in the assessment and will be asked questions about their life and background.

3. What these programmes are and how they work

Youth crime prevention programmes have different names and do different things, but they all involve activities to help keep young people away from crime. Young people can also learn new skills or get advice about school or jobs.

Some are run in groups while others are for just one young person supervised by an adult.

Two of the main prevention programmes are ‘youth inclusion programmes’ and ‘youth inclusion and support panels’, although there are many others.
Youth inclusion programmes

These are for 8 to 17 year-olds and usually last for set lengths of time, eg 6 months. Sometimes a young person can attend for longer if they need to, if they find the activities helpful.
Youth inclusion and support panels

These panels - made up of people like local youth or social workers - work with 8 to 13 year-olds to make sure they get access to local services that will help them stay out of trouble. These services could be things like getting extra help at school, or treatment for health or mental health problems.

Both these programmes use something called an ‘intervention plan’ that everyone must agree on, including the young person and their family. This plan describes what the young person is expected to do, as well as what support the young person will get.

Young people can also be mentored, and sometimes their families can also be involved.

4. Mentoring

A mentor is a specially trained volunteer who spends time helping someone.

They can help a young person with things like:

    doing better at school
    coping with bullying
    applying for jobs or colleges

Sometimes this personal help can be more effective than sending a young person on a group activity. A mentoring programme doesn’t usually have a set time limit - a young person can be mentored for as long as is helpful.

Mentors are not connected to the police or a school.

5. Involving parents and families

Usually, parents and families will be involved in helping a young person on a crime prevention programme. This could mean anything from attending classes with their child, to just making sure the young person does what they are asked.
Parenting programmes

If a young person gets into trouble with the law, their parents or carers might be asked to go on a parenting programme. Usually, they will be asked to attend voluntarily, but sometimes they will have to go.

This can be part of a youth crime prevention programme, and sometimes it will be separate.

How these programmes work will change from person to person, and will be planned in a way that’s right for the young person and their family. They could involve:

•     improving parenting skills
•     making sure nothing at home is causing the young person to commit crime