Gateway to websites

Advice & help - specialist sources

For Key Links go to the Advice & help first page

Westminster Trading Standards
Advice and information on consumer rights. Investigates breaches of consumer protection laws.

Consumer Direct
Gateway to a wide range of consumer web sites, from both government agencies and consumer organisations.

Office of Fair Trading
Provides information and advice on consumer rights.

Mailing Preference Service 
Register online to stop unsolicited direct mail in the UK. Links to similar services for telephone, fax, & e-mail, plus Baby MPS to reduce baby-related marketing to people who have lost children.

Which? 
Britain's leading consumer magazine. Subscription service available at Westminster Reference Library, Marylebone Information Service, Maida Vale Library, Mayfair Library, and St. John's Wood Library only - ask staff for details.

Benefits & services A-Z 
From the Department for Work and Pensions (which was the DSS until 2001). Includes downloadable claim forms

Entitled to...
Calculate how much you should be getting in benefits.

Housing Net
Gateway to all kinds of housing information - on social, student and private housing, with guides to buying / moving home.

Hometrack
Detailed property price and trend details for the UK, plus estate agent listings.

Homeless London
Directory of resources across London. For more general, national information, see Homeless Pages.

Shelter Know your rights
Advice for tenants, the homeless, students, and anyone seeking a place to live.

Refugee Council 
Information for refugees and asylum seekers, including legislation, statistics and entitlements.

Life in the UK Test
Information about the test, now one of the requirements for applying for British Citizenship. Now you can read the information and take practice tests (and judge your readiness to sit a real test) Life in Great Britain website available in any Westminster Library (please note that you must click 'sign up' when you use the tests this is so you can save your information when you try the tests and no personal information is required).

Passports and Immigration 
Home Office department responsible for immigration and nationality. Informative site with forms available for download but it can be very slow.