UK news
UK news in brief for Russian speakers: laws, tax, prices and rules, each linked to its primary source. Search and filter by date.
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Pothole wrecked your wheel: how to claim money from the council
The council owns the road, but section 58 of the Highways Act 1980 lets it walk away if its inspections were on schedule. Six years to claim for vehicle damage, three for injury, court fees from £35.
Debt Relief Order: up to £50,000 written off in 12 months, with no fee
Payments and interest freeze for a year, then the debt is written off, and there is no fee. But you must meet six conditions at once: under £50,000 owed, under £75 a month spare income, assets under £2,000 and no property of your own.
High hedge next door: how a complaint to the council works in England
Two metres, two plants in a line, mostly evergreen. A fine of up to £1,000 for ignoring a remedial notice and 28 days to appeal. How a high hedge complaint works under Part 8 of the Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003.
Party wall notice: the work in England and Wales you must tell your neighbour about
Two months' notice, 14 days for the neighbour to reply, 14 days to appeal an award. What the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 covers, why silence is not consent, and who pays the surveyor.
Free NHS eye tests in England: who qualifies and how much the glasses voucher is worth
The NHS pays for a sight test for twelve groups in England, but for glasses the list is shorter. The Universal Credit thresholds are £435 and £935; vouchers run from £42.40 to £233.56.
Speeding tickets in the UK: 14 days for the letter, 28 days for your answer
The minimum is £100 and 3 points. The numbers that matter more: the NIP arrives within 14 days, the Section 172 notice must go back within 28, and court fines cap at £1,000, or £2,500 on a motorway.
UK holiday pay: 5.6 weeks, 28 days and the 12.07% rule
Paid holiday in the UK is a statutory floor: 5.6 weeks a year, capped at 28 days. On irregular hours it is averaged over 52 weeks or paid as a top-up of at least 12.07% on every payslip, shown as a separate line.
Adrenaline nasal spray in schools: MHRA opens consultation until 14 December
MHRA wants schools to be able to keep spare adrenaline as a nasal spray, not just an auto-injector. What it changes for parents of an allergic child, and how long you have to respond.
The council housing waiting list in England: how to join and what moves you up
Your place depends on housing need, not the date you applied. You can apply at 18, sometimes 16, and even from outside the area. Points and bands, bidding without money, the 12-month trial tenancy and who pays for repairs.
Loud music on buses and trains: a GBP100 fine, and up to GBP1,000 on the railway
On 19 October the Department for Transport issued the guidance that switches on bus byelaws: a fixed penalty of up to GBP100 for loud music, vaping, litter and alcohol. On the railway the sound rule has applied since 2005, with a maximum of GBP1,000 and removal at the next station.
ULEZ and the Congestion Charge: £12.50, £18 a day and £180 for forgetting
The Congestion Charge is £18 a day in 2026, or £21 if you pay late. ULEZ is £12.50, around the clock, across every London borough. Forget to pay and it is £180, with only 14 days to halve it.
Section 75 and chargeback: how to get your money back in the UK
Pay by credit card and the bank answers for the trader: purchases above £100 and up to £30,000 are covered by section 75, and only part of the price needs to go on the card. Here is how chargeback differs from Section 75, how long the bank gets, and why you have exactly six months to reach the ombudsman.
DLA for children: rates from £30.30 to £194.60 and the three-month rule
The award is built from two components: care at £30.30, £76.70 or £114.60 a week, mobility at £30.30 or £80. The higher mobility rate starts at 3, the lower at 5, and DLA cannot be backdated.
Book at bedtime: Pride and Prejudice and the price of a good match
The 1813 novel about how money decided who married whom. The English text is free on Project Gutenberg; Austen's house at Chawton opens Wednesday to Sunday, adult £15.50.
Permitted development: what you can build in England without planning permission
Four metres of extension for a detached house and three for everyone else, 2.5 metres for a shed near the boundary, one metre for a fence along the road. The permitted development limits, and how to avoid an enforcement notice.
Service charges in England: how to check the bill and challenge it
You owe a reasonable sum, not any sum. Costs older than 18 months need not be paid, spending above £250 requires consultation, and a demand without a summary of rights can be withheld. What to check, and how to reach the tribunal.
HMO licence: when a shared house cannot be let without one
If five or more people from different households rent a property and share a toilet, bathroom or kitchen, it is a large house in multiple occupation and the landlord needs a council licence. The licence lasts five years at most, sets minimum bedroom sizes — 6.51 square metres for one adult — and requires an annual gas safety certificate. Letting without one carries an unlimited fine, and tenants can reclaim up to twelve months of rent through a tribunal.
Switching banks in 7 days: how the service works
The Current Account Switch Service moves a current account in 7 working days: Direct Debits, standing orders and salary are moved for you, and payments to the old account are redirected. It is free, and charges caused by an error are refunded.
UK dates to know, 18 October to 1 November: 8 to watch
The next two weeks in the UK: 8 dates worth keeping in mind, 1 of them hard deadlines. Taken from our calendar: bank holidays from the GOV.UK list, deadlines from HMRC and Companies House rules, each with a link to the source.
Vehicle tax in Britain: £200 a year, £440 on top and up to £5,690 in year one
The standard vehicle tax rate is £200 for 12 months, paying monthly adds 5%, a new car's first year can reach £5,690, and cars over £40,000 pay an extra £440 a year for five years. Electric cars have paid since 1 April 2025.
EV chargepoint grants: £500 and a 2027 deadline
Renters and flat owners get 75% of the cost of installing a charging socket, up to £500. A separate scheme covers households with only on-street parking. Employers and landlords are funded too. All of it runs to 31 March 2027.
Shared ownership in England: a 10% to 75% share, rent on the rest and the charges nobody mentions
A share of between 10% and 75% of the home's value, rent to the landlord on the rest, and leasehold rather than outright ownership. Household income must be £80,000 or less, rising to £90,000 in London. Who qualifies, what getting in costs, and the charges that surface after completion.
Use by and best before: which date you cannot break
Use by is safety: past that date the food is not safe, however normal it looks and smells. Best before is quality: past it, usually fine. Here is when freezing saves food, how long a cooked dish lasts, and where to report a label.
Dog owners in the UK: chip by 8 weeks, £500 fine
Every dog in the UK must be microchipped and registered by eight weeks or the fine reaches £500. A dog counts as dangerously out of control even in its owner's home, and no bite is needed — reasonable fear is enough.
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