English office words from the United Kingdom, explained

The words you see in official letters in the United Kingdom, in plain English.

acknowledgment of service: A form that tells the court you got the claim and will defend it. It gives you 28 days in total to send your defence.
administrative review: Asking the Home Office to check a refusal for mistakes. Often allowed only within 14 days.
arrears: Money you owe because regular payments were missed, for example rent or council tax.
CCJ: County Court Judgment. A court order that you must pay a debt. It stays on your credit file for 6 years.
charge certificate: Sent when a PCN wasn’t paid or challenged in time. The fine goes up by 50%.
claim form: The court paper that starts a case against you for money.
council tax: A yearly tax for your home, paid to your local council. The amount depends on the band of your home.
council tax band: The group (A to H, or A to I in Wales) your home is in, based on its value. It sets your council tax.
Council Tax Reduction: Help from your council to pay council tax if your income is low.
default judgment: A judgment made against you because you didn’t answer a claim in time.
deposit protection: In England and Wales, landlords must put your deposit in a government-approved scheme and give you the details.
Direct Debit: Permission for a company to take payments from your bank account. Protected by the Direct Debit Guarantee.
enforcement agent: A bailiff. Someone allowed to collect a debt after a court order, and who can add fees.
eVisa: Your digital proof of immigration status, in your UKVI account. It replaced most physical cards (BRPs).
final demand: The last reminder before they take further action, for example court or a debt collector.
fixed penalty: A set fine for a driving offence, often with penalty points on your licence.
formal representations: A written challenge to a PCN after a Notice to Owner. If refused, you can appeal to an independent tribunal.
HMRC: HM Revenue and Customs. The UK tax office.
journal: The message area in your Universal Credit online account. Many messages and appointments appear there.
letter of claim: A warning letter before a court case. For debts you usually have 30 days to reply.
liability order: A court order that lets the council collect unpaid council tax, for example through bailiffs or from your wages or benefits.
mandatory reconsideration: Asking the DWP or HMRC to look at a benefit decision again. You must do this before you can appeal to a tribunal.
National Insurance number: Your personal number for tax and benefits, like QQ 12 34 56 C.
NIP: Notice of Intended Prosecution. A letter that a vehicle was caught speeding or breaking a traffic rule.
notice of enforcement: The first letter from bailiffs. You have at least 7 clear days to pay before they can visit.
notice seeking possession: A notice from your landlord that they want you to leave and may go to court.
Notice to Owner: The next letter after an unpaid PCN, sent to the registered keeper. You can make formal representations within 28 days.
ombudsman: A free, independent service that looks at complaints you couldn’t solve with the company or office.
overpayment: Money paid to you by mistake that they want back.
P800: A tax calculation letter. It says if you paid too much or too little tax through your job or pension.
Parking Charge Notice: A bill from a private parking company, not a fine from the council or police.
PAYE: Pay As You Earn. Tax and National Insurance taken from your pay or pension by your employer.
PCN: Penalty Charge Notice. A fine from a council (or Transport for London) for parking or traffic rules.
PIP: Personal Independence Payment. Money for extra costs if you have a long-term illness or disability.
POPLA: Parking on Private Land Appeals. A free, independent appeal service for many private parking charges.
sanction: A cut in your benefit, for example because you missed an appointment without a good reason.
Section 172 notice: The part of a speeding letter that asks the keeper to say who was driving.
Self Assessment: The yearly tax return some people must send to HMRC, for example the self-employed. The online deadline is usually 31 January.
Simple Assessment: A tax bill that HMRC works out for you, without a tax return. You can query it within 60 days.
Single Justice Procedure: A quick way for a magistrate to decide minor offences on paper, without a hearing.
single person discount: 25% off council tax if you are the only adult living in your home.
SORN: Statutory Off Road Notification. Tells the DVLA your vehicle is off the road, so you don’t need to tax it.
speed awareness course: A short course you can sometimes take instead of getting penalty points for minor speeding.
statute-barred: A debt too old to take to court — usually 6 years after the last payment or written acknowledgement (5 years in Scotland).
tax code: A code like 1257L. Your employer or pension uses it to work out how much tax to take from your pay.
Time to Pay arrangement: A payment plan with HMRC to pay tax you owe in monthly parts.
TV Licence: A yearly licence you need to watch or record live TV on any channel, or to use BBC iPlayer.
Universal Credit: The main monthly benefit for people of working age with low income or out of work. It is managed in an online account with a journal.
UTR: Unique Taxpayer Reference. A 10-digit number HMRC gives you for Self Assessment.
V5C: The vehicle logbook. It shows who the registered keeper of a vehicle is.
work coach: Your contact person at the Jobcentre for Universal Credit and job search.