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• Buying a home

  Mortgage calculator Use the mortgage calculator to work out how much your monthly mortgage payments could be now, and if interest rates rise. Use the mortgage calculator How much can you afford The first thing you need to do is decide how much you can afford. You will need to...

• Check if your landlord has to protect your deposit

  You'll probably have to pay a 'tenancy deposit' to your landlord or letting agent before you can rent your home. Your tenancy deposit will usually be the same amount as 4 or 5 weeks' rent. It’s illegal for your landlord to force you to pay a deposit of more than...

• Maternity leave - your options when it ends

  When you first ask for maternity leave your employer will give you a date for returning to work. They’ll assume you’ll be away for a year unless you tell them you want to return to work sooner. Don’t worry if you change your mind about when to return to work....

• Working on bank holidays

  It’s up to your employer to decide whether or not you have to work on bank holidays. If your place of work is closed on bank holidays, your employer can make you take them as part of your annual leave entitlement. Some employers might give you bank holidays off and...

• Claiming constructive dismissal

  If your employer has done something that seriously breaches your contract, you might be able to resign and make a claim to an employment tribunal. This is called constructive dismissal. To be successful you'll need to prove your employer seriously breached your contract and that you resigned in response to...

• Getting paid less than minimum wage or living wage

  National Living Wage is the highest band of the National Minimum Wage which you should get if you're 21 or over. Most people who work are entitled to get paid at least the National Minimum Wage. This includes casual workers, people on zero hours contracts and agency workers. There is...

• Your options if your employer offers you another job

  Before your employer makes you redundant they might offer you another job in the organisation. This is called ‘suitable alternative employment’. Tell your employer in writing if you decide to accept the alternative job. Ask for a new contract, new job description and any changes to your terms and conditions,...

• What to do if you don't get your maternity rights

  There are steps you can take if: you have problems getting your maternity rights you’re treated badly for asking for your maternity rights you’re treated badly for any reason connected to your pregnancy or maternity It’s important to start these steps as soon as you can. You only have 3...

• If you're offered housing because you're homeless

  If you've applied for homeless help, the council might offer you emergency accommodation if all the following apply: you're legally homeless you're eligible for homeless help you're in priority need If you haven't applied yet, check if you can apply for homeless help. Emergency accommodation is also called ‘interim accommodation’ and...

• Check if your employer's dismissal process is unfair

  Your employer should follow a fair process if they dismiss you. What’s fair depends on your situation, but they normally need to follow their own rules and a standard set of rules called the Acas code.  You can appeal against your dismissal if your employer doesn’t follow a fair process....