Frequently asked questions for life in the UK and new arrivals, plus trusted links
Short, sourced answers to the questions our community asks most. Newest first.
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The London Consulate General works by appointment; book, check and cancel on konsolosluk.gov.tr. Office hours Mon-Fri 09:00-13:00 and 14:00-18:00, appointment services 09:00-13:00 and 14:00-16:00. The official pages list no no-appointment services; the duty line is for emergencies only.
GOV.UK: online purchases can be cancelled within 14 days of receiving the item, then returned within 14 days; the seller refunds within 14 days of getting it back. Section 75: credit card items of £100-£30,000; chargeback: debit cards. Overseas orders: £135 and, for gifts, £39 thresholds.
GOV.UK 2026-27: Personal Allowance £12,570; Marriage Allowance transfers £1,260 (up to £252 tax saving); ISA limit £20,000 a year; £1,000 tax-free savings interest (basic rate); Rent a Room £7,500. The working-from-home relief cannot be claimed from 6 April 2026.
Emergency routes: UC advances and hardship payments, the Crisis and Resilience Fund (via your council) that replaced the Household Support Fund on 1 April 2026, food bank vouchers, Healthy Start, the Funeral Expenses Payment (up to £1,000) and council support for NRPF families.
GOV.UK: ILR and citizenship need only a speaking and listening test (SELT); results last 2 years. Approved providers: Trinity, IELTS SELT, LANGUAGECERT, Pearson, PSI. The ILR level rises from B1 to B2 from 26 March 2027. Preparation: British Council LearnEnglish.
GOV.UK: the Life in the UK test has 24 questions in 45 minutes; you need 75% (18 correct) to pass. It costs £50 and is booked at least 3 days ahead on the official site. Questions come only from the official Guide for New Residents. If you fail you can retake, paying each time.
GOV.UK: theory test £23, practical test £62 weekdays (£75 evenings/weekends). Theory: 50 multiple-choice questions (pass 43) and hazard perception (44 out of 75); the certificate lasts 2 years. New practical slots open 24 weeks ahead every Monday at 6am. No foreign-language voiceover.
Points that cause problems according to official pages: putting age, marital status and nationality on a CV, fake job ads, agencies charging fees to find work, not getting written terms, working below the minimum wage (£12.71 for 21+) and not knowing Acas's free helpline.
Points that cause problems when official rules are missed: the 31 October (Year 7) and 15 January (Reception) deadlines, listing one school, not accepting an offer in time, term-time holiday fines (£80, £160 if unpaid after 21 days), staying in education to 18, home fee status and UCAS dates.
Points that cause problems according to official pages: never checking benefits despite having ILR, not checking an NRPF condition, not reporting changes (penalty £350-£5,000), forgetting time abroad and bank transactions, not completing a UC claim in 28 days and not knowing the free helplines.