If anyone could offer some advice on employment rights/laws etc I work for company "A" on secondment into a clients offices. I notified the client that I was intending to leave my company at which point the secondment client looked for ways and means to keep me. A company called "B" provides contract staff to the secondment client and I had been asked by the client to speak with them so they can retain my services for the next 2 years. Up to this point it is pretty straight forward. Company "B" have a contract in place with Company "A" to supply them contract staff to outsource and have said there is an anti poaching clause in place which they cannot get out of. The contract is over a year old but has 3 years left to run. Company "B" did not approach me for a job I approached them on the advice of the client. My Company, Company "A" is now stopping me from leaving and have said they will prevent me from joining Company "B" at any costs. It is within the same industry doing the same job but with better benefits which Company "A" cannot provide and at the request of the client. Anyone able to offer any advice on this matter?

I am a student from the University of Kent. Recently I signed a contract with a student lettings company (however the landlord has not signed the client copy of the contract must I mention. But this probably doesn't make a difference anyway since there are two signed agreements from all parties with the landlord himself and with the agency.) The rent is from September 2014 to July 2015. There is no break clause from the contract either. Unfortunately I did not pass one of my exams and I also have a startup company that was just accepted into an accelerator program in the San Francisco in August, so I will be travelling there for a month in August. This is when my resits take place and therefore I won't be able to resit that particular exam, therefore unable to continue with my second year and thus won't be able to pay for my rent in the second year that I am liable for. I haven't managed to find a replacement tenant either. I am now in a position where I cannot pay the fees for the house as I am not going to University for a year and I do need some urgent advice on this. There is no way I can afford that rent without going to University, my University won't let me continue unless I resit and the next resit dates are August 2015 - forcing me to take a gap year. If you guys can help me out here that'll be great! Cheers!

I am really needing some help. I have a house valued at £110,000 and a mortgage of £105,000 which I may need to sell. The only problem is I have a secured loan of £34,000 on my home through Picture (or whoever they are now) which has arreas of £650 and they will only get bigger as I am no longer able to afford the loan. What I am wanting to know is am I allowed to sell my home even though the secured loan won't get paid off. I am intending to rent if I can sell my home. Any advice would be much appreciated. I don't want to sell if I don't have to but will Picture?? take my home even if they won't get any proceeds from the sale.

Dear CAGers, In July last year (2013) I sent out a CCA request to Apex Credit Management and all I had back was a letter to say they would work on it. Then last week to my surprise (10 months later!) they sent a copy of the CCA. Now I’ve started to get a few calls a day from them (I haven’t answered any though). Would someone kindly cast an eye over what they’ve sent so that I know whether I have to start paying them something, or suggest any ideas? Many Thanks

Sorry for the rambling title, thought I'd explain it as best I could. Yesterday my partner had a phone call from our landlord saying they want to see the house and that our contract expires on 5th June. Bearing in mind this call was made on 9th April, only 4 days but not two months, but also not in writing. Do they have to give this in writing, then when they do, two months from that date? My partner is 6 months pregnant, we really don't need this hassle but the landlord isn't really arsed, they seem to have a business head more than a conscience. Don't get me wrong, we will move out, but for what they've put us through I'm working to the letter of the law, and won't hand keys back until I have to. Any advice on this? Many thanks.

We moved a house 4 months ago and there are various items left by someone who was not even the tenant a car ,tv etc . We have asked for a them to be moved several times to no avail . What are our options !

Hi, I live in Spain, I have done for the last 5 years. I had several properties in the UK, all of which have been repossessed. The mortgages were covered but I have an outstanding approximately of 100k gbp on all the properties ( This is the total amount). I did want to declare myself bankrupt, but found out that it is only possible if I was back in the UK. I have several CCJ´s estimated around 6 from council tax and other utilities debts. Therefore, my dilemma, which I feel is not really a dilemma but my parents think it is the best course of action to move back to the UK. If I come back then I have to declare myself homeless and move into a hostel, I think this is my only option. With my 3 children. If I am housed or when I am eventually and then I get a job, I will not automatically be able to go bankrupt, because this will be the decision of the court. Or is this not necessarily the case? Also, if I am, then it is not a simple case of my debt is wiped off after 6 years. There will be a lot of restrictions, one of them maybe that when I do work I will have to pay a subset of my wages for the debt. Which as you can see by the size of the debt, will take several years and I am already approaching 40. I see that I will not be able to apply for anything in the UK, everything is credit scored so if I do get my own place, it is highly unlikely that I will be able to get any gas, electricity, a bank account or other such means. Is this me being dramatic or it may not be as drastic as that?

I am trying to move my sky to my new address, I am aware that I am tied into a contract as I recently upgraded to fibre optic in October. When I got no response from the online form, I phoned them to complete the transaction. They told me they couldn't activate the homemove as my fibre optic hadn't been activated as yet, presumably at this point I as they hadn't provided the service, I would not be in a contract and could have cancelled, they asked me to phone back the day after. As if by magic the fibre optic was activated the day after and a BT engineer came out at 8am to check the line. I phoned back to be told they still can't activate the homemove as their computers have had an upgrade and are charging £65 for the new hub, which should be free, I have the option to wait until they have sorted this issue or pay the £65, which will eventually be reimbursed or credited on my bill, surely this is extortion?!? The customer service operater is going to ring me back in 2 days, to see if the problem with their system is sorted. I am concerned as I am moving in 10 days and need the Sky installed before Christmas. I have asked to cancel the contract, but they are now stating the the fibre optic upgrade has been backdated to October, when it was originally ordered. Do I have any grounds to cancel if they can't provide the homemove service, and didn't activate my fibre optic for 2 months. Do they have any rights to charge me £65 for a free service on the proviso it will eventually be refunded?

I have significant debt in UK and it has been 5 years since last default. My move to UK is unavoidable. I don't have any funds and will not be able to afford any repayments until i get a job. I would like to stay low when i move to avoid the hassle of debt collectors until i can afford repayments. I would appreciate any suggestions.

Don't know if this has been posted about before ? But Asda mobile who currently using Vodafone network are moving to EE https://mobile.asda.com/ I'm some what peed off with this as i left EE using PAC code to move to Asda mobile for a much better service... So im getting my PAC code from Asda and move to Sainsbury mobile,who use the Vodafone network http://www.phoneshopbysainsburys.co.uk/mbs PAC code http://www.paccodes.co.uk/

Hello, I'm a US citizen who moved to the UK for graduate school, and built up some debt while there. I moved back to the USA right after the financial crash of 2008. I had every intention of paying back the debt, but there just weren't any jobs, and I've been struggling ever since. It now turns out that the best chance I have of getting a job in my field may require moving back to the UK. I have a credit card, HSBC, which started collecting here in the US through Bluestone Law, but I couldn't make regular payments, and finally couldn't make any. Now they have sold the debt to someone else and tried to contact me at my parent's house. I haven't called them back yet. I also have a British Gas and another electric company that I owed money to when I moved. I've been in contact with them sporadically since, to try to make arrangements to pay, but they don't follow up. I've been living in terror of being stopped at the airport as some criminal when I enter the UK or EU. Can they do that? And if not, and I can move to a new job in the UK just fine, what kinds of problems will I have getting a bank account or a flat to rent? I there anything else debt-related that I should think about before deciding to apply for UK jobs? US jobs sometimes do credit checks. Is this normal for UK jobs? Thank you very much!

A family member is about to turn 65. They are married but his wife is younger than him. She claims ESA for them both because she has a disability (ESA support group), and he's her carer (so he gets carer's allowance). He's received a letter from the DWP Pension people asking if he would like to go over to pension when he turns 65. He has no idea what to do. They had a struggle getting his wife into the support group of ESA. She also gets DLA (they get housing benefit & council tax reduction). Is there somewhere he can find out what the advantages or disadvantages would be? I know there are a lot of changes coming in re: universal credit, PIP etc and council tax, housing benefit etc. He doesn't know what to do for the best and doesn't want to make the wrong decision which may result in them having less money etc. I know his wife gets ESA because of her disability but if he gets pension for them both does that means she's not classed as being unfit for work any more and will that affect future claims for DLA/PIP renewal? I spoke to CAB on their behalf and they were no help, he just asked if I had access to the internet and gave me the PC claim telephone number. I rang the Benefits enquiry line and the lady suggested that they should move over to PC asap as they would be better off on PC and state pension but when they inform ESA they should ask for NI to still be paid. She said that his wife (the ESA claimant) would still have to comply with all the ESA rules but it would be the pension people that are paying them not ESA. I don't know if that makes any sense, I am a little confused because when the husband spoke to the pension people they said the wife would have to stop claiming ESA (I don't know if it's relevant but the ESA is income related). They also said if the husband doesn't get his pension then they will take the money off the ESA that they claim because it's classed as income he could be getting. I also believe he will be no longer entitled to carer's allowance. It's all a bit of a minefield and they don't know which way to turn.

the company I have been working has just taken on a general manager to carry out day to day running of the company. the story goes like this. before working at the present company I applied to a company but was rejected the job. the guy that I met for a job interview is the new general manager that's just started at my company I am at now. I didn't recognize him but he told me he remembered me. he told me that he had read my file and the disciplinary that I had. he then told me he told my boss he remembered me for the interview at his old company and then showed my boss a Email that he sent to his old company head office stating that I wasn't up for the job that I had applied for and to send a rejection letter. I sat and had a chat and he was giving out that he's going to change the company. he said that its only been a week but he's had 4 or so ex engineers from his old company asking for employment at this company. I had 5 days off for sick and when I was back I was told to come to the office and have a meeting with the new manager. the meeting was about having sick time off and was also saying that I was a problem due to the fact that I got a parking ticket and that the insurance had gone up on the van even though I wasn't the only person to have a accident. he moaned that I had a claim for the windscreen crack. speeding in the van via tracker. moaned about the overtime not been summited to the office but it had. I feel this guy never wanted me to work for his old company and hinted and moaned that he's not wanting me to work at the company im at now. im sure he's just waiting for me to make a mistake and be on me with a disciplinary...

Any property rental gurus with advice would be most welcome. We (my partner and I along with my 6 year old) rent a managed property through Ellisons and 4 months into our 1 year contract extension (our 2nd extension) they served us a 2 month Section 21 Notice requiring possession dated 4 April.Exacyly 6 months into the extension. The effective notice is 8 June. Our monthly rental due date is the 27th every month. A few days after the notice was served I told them that we would prefer a moving out date in accordance with our rental which is the 27th May as it would cause complications for us otherwise. They refused. Then I requested the first weekend after the 27th to do our move - the weekend of the 1/2nd (to check out on Monday 3rd of June as they dont work weekends)...and they said they would contact the landlord and get back to me if he was prepared to let us leave early. 7 weeks passed and I heard nothing until the Friday of the weekend I was to move. I organised my moving schedule and email the agency the friday before the move that I was moving out the pre-arranged weekend and would be at the check out on Monday the 3rd. They then informed me that I could not check out until the 8th and that i would need to pay extra rent to cover 3 - 8 June, plus any council tax and other utilities. Even though I have cancelled my bills already! i am a bit peeved as I am now sitting in my new place after having moved and having to continue to pay Ellisons rent even though I told them I was moving 7 weeks ago, and also wasted my afternoon today as I intended to check out today and they told me they werent going through with it . Now I have to schedule MORE time off work to check out on the 8th - which is 2 months and 5 days after I was served my notice requiring possession. I am also now likely to lose hundreds of pounds in extra rent and bills and a full day of work (I am a highly paid contractor and stand to lose £300 because of this). Anyone know what I can do to even the score? I told them I was not happy having to wait 7 weeks for a response to whether the landlord would allow me to move out on the 3rd (which as it happens is exactly 2 months after the notice was served and would have worked out fairly for me). I believe that their bespoke notice of the 8th is unfair because it's mid-month and not our rental day, and there are no decent rental properties available on at that time of the month either. To top matters we now have to wait an extra week or so for our deposit (minus the extra £250 in rent and other deductions I am sure)- and I just know they will try and shaft us even though we have looked after the property and cleaned it to a higher standard than it was when we moved in. Please help.

Peter and Judith Lewis were left humiliated when they tried to switch to a better current account deal as Nationwide turned them down, due to a bad debt, despite the pair never having had any money troubles. I rang the credit reference company and said: “You’ve libelled me.” We were so angry with them. Read More

Hi all, I was hoping you guys might have some suggestions? I am currently claiming ESA (support group) and Housing Benefit. I have put in a claim for DLA, but not had a response yet. This is all due to my mental health, which is supposedly being looked after by my local CMHT. I am, however, getting very little help indeed. I have no social worker or support worker, I have been refused a freedom pass, and haven't even gone through a needs assessment, despite my constant requests for one. If you guys want to know my diagnoses, let me know. On top of all of this, I am now being forced to move out of my current tenancy, as the landlord no longer wants us to live there. The council aren't interested until I have an eviction notice, but I don't even have someone to take me down to the council to discuss it anyway. If I stay and wait until eviction, I will owe the landlord thousands in rent, because the other tenants I share with are moving out on the 12th March. I only have help from family or friends at weekends, during the week I am on my own. I don't have the financial means to move either, it's taken me eight months just to get ESA! I have made a complaint to the council, but I fear they'll be "investigating" it for another month, which I really can't afford to wait for. I've also tried CAB and Shelter. Neither have been able to help as I can't get down to see them. If anyone has any thoughts, I'm all ears. Thanks

Can anyone please advise on this case? in the CAG forum upgrade - my thread seems to have moved into the wrong category and im not sure how to move it back... ...this thread below is under private parking and instead should be under this one... http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?304065-URGENT-PLease-Help!-Harrow-PCN-appeal-deadline-tomorrow!&highlight=parking can anyone help- this is a case from years ago that i am still fighting! thanks

Hi everyone, really hoping someone can help here, as I have a friend with a problem. He's been in work for 25 years as professional golf instructor. This includes work here and abroad, he came home 8 years ago and work was still good. However, one golf course and two driving ranges have shut in this area, and he can no longer find work. This has been the case for 18 months. He is 49 years old, and currently has to live with his mother in a small 1 bedroom bungalow sleeping on the sofa. He has researched where he can work, and Reading seems to be ideal for him. There are 12 courses and ranges within walking distance of the main town, and he has been told he would be able to give lessons at 6 of them (he's waiting on responses from the others) Great so far. Except he needs to get down there, and set up. He explained this to the job centre, who told him to check a budgeting loan. Budgeting loans wont give money for rent. He tried a crisis loan, they wont give money for rent deposits. Only rent if you are short because of a miss-payment. HE can't register with the local job centre of reading and sign on, to start getting housing benefit there whilst he sets up, unless he already has a home there. Today, when trying to explain this, despite having work available for him down there. The Job centre flat out said 'tough' and that he will have to hope something shows up around here. That seems ridiculous to me. There must be some help he can get? some group he can join, some sort of loan or grant he can apply for... and I was hoping one of you VERY very smart people could point him in the right direction

Hi Caggers Just thought this may be of some use to others on CAG Its a House inspection checklist form in PDF that you may use especially useful if renting to keep your own detailed copy of move-in and move-out. please feel free to use or amend.

Have had a bit of a wade through the posts here, as I am currently considering a move to Scotland from the UK. I do have a bit of a debt, one CCJ and several defaults, that will obviously follow me there. The process appears very different however. Can someone explain to me please the main differences between Scots and English Law regarding debt? Have to say, from what I have seen, the Scottish law seems somewhat harsher - the thought of an arrestment of my bank account would be a complete disaster. Thanks for any advice.

Will mean that there will be just 2 providers supplying the UK following the tie up with Always and everywhere (Orange / t mobile) and 3. http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/markets/article-2156085/Vodafone-02-set-share-network-phone-masts.html?ito=feeds-newsxml

hello there : ) I was recently paying £7.50 a month to santander, but now it has just shot up to £20. (£240 a year) for £700 max overdraft. I am on incapacity benefit and am trapped in my overdraft. I wonder does anyone know of a decent bank that will transfer my overdraft and offer a better rate? I am sure allot of people are planning to move away from this bank in the following months. thanks for your help : )