Question for the Single Folks

Reading through this forum, I noticed that there are NOT too many single people.  A lot of people on this forum have gone to the UK because they are getting married or joining their partners in the UK, which is a great reason to move.

I would like to hear from the people who decided to go to the UK on their own, without knowing a soul, and how they coped with 1) getting a bank account; 2) getting a flat; 3) getting a NIN number; 4) getting a job; and 5) meeting people. 

I am very stressed thinking about how I am going to achieve all this when I move over there in a few months.  I know that if I had a bf/partner already there, all this would be much easier as I would have help getting started.

Please share you experiences with me.  I need to hear good things about moving to the UK.

Read the grievances section.  I'm single and you'll see my bs.  Bring a letter of reference from your US bank account.  Do you have a job lined up?  Do you have a UK passport? 

I did!!! came on my own in '99 what I did is get to know a lot of internet pen pals (AOL) got that book " Living and Working in Britain : a survival handbook" (can't remember the author but it was a yellow cover to it.  I lucked out because I came with a group of other Americans on an internship program. I did date an English guy but it broke off before I settled in the UK and really he wasn't a factor in my reason for moving ( It was more of a chance to gain more education and apply it back in the US afterwards.) I did flat share so I gained friends quite quickly from just doing that instead of trying to get a flat of my own. It's a double edge sword when you flat share but you do learn a lot from doing it.

One bit of advice I can give you is when you budget things double your estimates as I wasn't expecting standard bureaucratic things would take so long (visas, opening an account , hearing back from ucas)


Good luck

I came over as a single person (I now have a British b/f, but I didn't meet him until after I came over). However, I had the advantage of having relatives here already. They helped me find a house, car, etc. The NIN number and bank account I handled on my own -- it's really not that hard. I didn't have to have a letter of reference from the US. I think maybe AmericanFox just got unlucky.

Alicia's right. Having contacts over here helps enormously. In my case, it was relatives. But a network of internet friends can be equally useful. And I bought the same book. It's by David Hampshire. BUY IT!!! I've been here over 2 years, and I still consult it from time to time:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1901130509/qid=1121366269/sr=1-5/ref=sr_1_5/002-1961048-2616839?v=glance&s=books

Good luck to you!

Thank you Belindaloo for the book recommendation.

I am coming over in exactly one month. I have never been to England and do not know one person. I am hoping to meet people through work. I also decided to share a house with someone rather then get my own place - at least at first. Yes, I am very nervous but  have to think that it will all work out.

 one positive thing about coming over and living "single" in England is the discount you get on your Council tax!!  But you do have to apply to receive your 25% discount. 

What is the process for applying for this discount? I don't remember reading about it in my employment packet.

one positive thing about coming over and living "single" in England is the discount you get on your Council tax!!  But you do have to apply to receive your 25% discount. 

I didn't have to apply for it.  A bill was sent to me by my council and I called them up to see if it included the 25% discount for single occupancy.  It didn't, and my council sent me an updated bill with the reduced figure. 

I'm not sure if all councils handle it the same way.

bvamin

i came over here 2 years ago by myself.  when I first moved I printed a calender for the 24 months i'd be here.  and i thought i'd feel so much better pulling the pages away until i could move home.

now- i'm applying for antoher 2 year work permit (same company) and looking at buying a house.  2 years- amazing what can change.

i came over here on as an inter-company transfer (us to uk branch of same company).  they handled the work permit completely.  for the first 3 months i lived here i was a consultant- being paid from the US- then i got my work permit and my salary was transferred to here.

my company put me up in a hotel for the first month- but i knew i needed to very quickly find a place (in general i like britsih food- but hotel britsih food- not so good)- i found a place in peterborough area after 4 days of looking.  the biggest hassle was that i needed my deposit.  of course, i would have gladly transferred money from US to UK bank account, if I could have opened a UK bank account here.  but, no, you have to have an address, and a utility bill b/f you can do this.

so- i asked my company for the upfront deposit and they loaned it to me (very nice company). 

i third the motion about the book suggestion- i found a bit of the information out of date- but helpful nonetheless.

as for meeting people- the pub is a wonderful invention.  it's meeting that first person that was the key for me. once that happened, it's all downhill (well, kind of).

in terms of council tax, i think i called the council, told them that i was the new tenant, and told them i was single.  they then sent me a form detailing all the ways i could pay (monthly, etc). 

I would like to hear from the people who decided to go to the UK on their own, without knowing a soul, and how they coped with 1) getting a bank account; 2) getting a flat; 3) getting a NIN number; 4) getting a job; and 5) meeting people. 

I moved over to London for a job (36 yr old single gal).  I work at the American School in London as a high school counselor.  #1:  Bank:  My job helped a lot with establishing a bank account and even were able to loan us money if we needed it.  #2:  Getting a flat:  I spent about 3 weeks in a B&B while searching for a flat for a new flatmate and me to live in.  It was a pain but I did it.  I would suggest using anyone at work to help you in this area - they may know someone who has a flat or needs a flatmate.  #3:  Getting a NIN number:  I didn't need to get a NIN number due to my job or if I did, I have no idea how it was gotten for me.  #4: getting a job:  Already had a job before I arrived.   #5: Meeting People:  I did not click with a lot of people at work socially.  We get along at work, but don't hang with many of them outside of work...with the exception of my new flatmate who is my best pal.  I decided to join a field hockey club and that has consisted of my social life for the most part as it's a social club as well.  I wouldn't say that I have best friends yet, but some of that is due to the fact that I met my boyfriend within 3 months of moving here...so he took up a lot of time that I might have invested in making closer friends...and now that I don't troll the bar for guys, it's one less thing I share with many of them (plus being older than most is also a deterent).  But I do feel comfy just hanging out on weekends at our clubhouse knowing that I'll have a group to have fun with.  I'd definitely suggest finding something you enjoy doing and finding a club or class in it...best way to meet people!

Oh, and as for the discount on council tax...you get it only if you are the only person living in your flat...not just for being single!  As I've had flatmates this year and will again this upcoming school year, I don't get the discount.