Hi, I'm a single expat (this is starting like a lonely hearts advert! ) but, I still own a house in the UK which I rent out. Currently it's empty and I've been paying council tax. I applied for the single person discount but it was denied on the basis that I was a landlord. However, I assume this is normally done on the basis that you are getting single person discount on the property you live in elsewhere. In this case that does not apply to me because I live abroad and am not getting single person discount on any other UK property. The property in question will be nominated as my main home for capital gains if I sell it and was my last residence in the UK. Do I have a case for disputing the denial of single person discount with the tribunal? I've email the council several times disputing their original decision and they have not replied. The council in question is Brighton.

I am British and moved to The Netherlands 16 years ago when work was in abundance. Being self employed in today's present climate is a much bigger challenge and I find myself in a very difficult situation. My work has almost dried up and I would like to return to the UK with my Ukrainian wife and child.... However my debts amount to around €22000 (unsecured) and we do not own our own house here. To settle this debt before we leave would be at present impossible. My question is, would my best option be bankruptcy? And would this have any adverse affect on our return to the Uk? Would this have an affect on my wife's application for a uk visa or citizenship? Thanks in advance for any advice

Hi All, I took out a new style student loan (in '99/2000), which I was paying (slowly) through PAYE, before I moved to New Zealand around 6 and a bit years ago. I have, since making this move, received no further contact on this - despite having a forwarding address at a previous UK address. I have, however, just received a Final Notification letter to my current address in New Zealand from SLC informing me they plan to pass my debt to a debt collector unless I pay 1300 pounds of arrears in the next 21 days. As stated this is my first contact from them. I therefore be really grateful for advice on the following: 1) Could this debt by Statute Barred (have read in some places these new style loans were 12yrs rather than standard 6 yrs)? 2) how actively can they pursue me in NZ? I have no plans to return to the Uk and no UK assets. I am not altogether unwilling to start payments for my loan, but certainly wouldn’t be able to afford the repayment rates as represented on the SLC site for overseas payment and think the arrears seem somewhat unfair. If I know my position I'll be able to decide how to proceed. If I can get this Statue Barred, as I am in NZ I'd think they would struggle to take payment from PAYE so I could presumably determine my own repayment rate on this with no comeback. If they are unable to successfully/actively pursue me in NZ it will affect my bargaining power should I decide to attempt to agree a payment schedule with SLC. As yet, I haven’t responded to this and have made no contact (or payment) for over 6 yrs. Any advice much appreciated! Thanks.

Hi, Here's my good story that can be useful to those of you who moved to the UK from a foreign country. I discovered that even if you are an expat moving to the UK, the time you held a foreign driving license can be counted towards reducing your car insurance premium. Basically, if your foreign driving license is in a category that allows you to swap it to a UK license without undergoing a driving test, the time you held that license will count towards reducing your premium. You can find out if your license can be swapped here: https://www.gov.uk/exchange-a-foreign-driving-licence. It's probably a good idea to call up your potential car insurance company and ask if they will indeed honour the time you held the foreign license -- I suppose not all of them have that policy. But mine does. Here are some more tips on getting a cheaper car insurance if you're an expat living in the UK: http://uk.expalibur.com/questions/9/how-do-i-get-cheap-car-insurance-in-the-uk

My daughter is British, was born in the UK and went to school in the UK, and now is trying to go to drama school in the UK. This means getting a LOAN to pay for the fees, (not a grant, a loan), keeping in mind the course fees have just tripled. We've been living the last several years in the EU (Germany), and while here, she tried to apply for a loan in advance for the course she has been accepted on in London. The loan authorities said there was no problem, but she must apply when she has a permanent UK address. She moved to the UK, got a flat, then got a job, and applied again. The loan authorities said there was no problem, but she must apply at a later date, approx. 4 weeks before the course starts. Now, we have received notice to pay the outstanding fees, shortly before the course starts. My daughter has now applied again to the loan authorities in the UK, but this time she has been informed she does NOT qualify for a loan, as she has been living in the EU for the last several years! WTF is wrong with this country?!