NatWest, HSBC and Lloyds TSB offer insurance as part of their student packages. Standard cover from these providers is relatively inexpensive for students living in halls of residence. Saxon's premium is the cheapest at £15 for a year, but all are under £30. Check the level of cover as it may be inadequate, with some items such as computers, bicycles, and sports equipment requiring extra cover.An increasing number of universities are taking out block cover for students living in halls of residence, the cost of which is included in the rent. It is therefore worth checking, before taking out separate insurance, whether or not this applies.For students living off-campus, premiums can be significantly higher, depending on the postcode Saxon has three categories of risk. Some 90 per cent of universities, it says, are in the low-risk category. The highest risk areas include Birmingham, Coventry, Hull, Leeds, Manchester, Middlesbrough and Sunderland.Saxon's prices are the most competitive on the market: even students living in areas with the most vulnerable postcodes can get unlimited cover from as little as £53.
Endsleigh has 10 area categories, costing a student living in Leeds LS2, which is one of Endsleigh's highest-risk areas, £96 for only £2,000-worth of cover.While it may be cheaper to include your child on your insurance policy, rather than take out a stand-alone policy, this can be restrictive Should your child get burgled, your premium may rise. You need to prove forced entry for a claim to be valid, which you don't have to provide with student cover.Whichever insurance prov- ider you opt for, check the small print of the policy and make sure you are aware of what is covered and what is excluded. Most students are already financially stretched, so they might well cut corners when it comes to insurance cover. However, given the horrific statistics for the number of burglaries of student houses, it makes sense for students to re-think their priorities.* Contacts: Churchill, 0800 200345; Direct Line, 0845 246 8000; Endsleigh, 0800 028 3571; Harrison Beaumont, 01993 700200; HSBC, 0800 277377; Lloyds TSB, 0845 300 0571; NatWest, 0800 783 5657; Royal & SunAlliance, 0800 300660; Saxon: 0116 264 4618.. September is an important month for taxpayers.
If you are one of the 9 million people who have been sent a self-assessment form and don't want the hassle of calculating how much tax you have to pay, the Inland Revenue will work it out for you - as long as you return the form by 30 September September is an important month for taxpayers. If you are one of the 9 million people who have been sent a self-assessment form and don't want the hassle of calculating how much tax you have to pay, the Inland Revenue will work it out for you - as long as you return the form by 30 September. However, this month the deadline falls on a Saturday so you would do well to get your form in by Friday 29 September. Even though you won't be fined if you don't send your form in before this date, life will be a lot easier as you won't have to calculate the tax you owe.The absolute deadline for returning your form if you want to avoid a fine is 31 January 2001: if you are aiming for this date, you will have to calculate your own tax.Taxpayers may prefer to work out their own payments anyway, given the problems the Revenue has encountered with its computer systems, and the number of mistakes it has made in calculating people's tax liabilities. But tax experts believe it is still better to get the Revenue to make the calculations than trying to work it out for yourself."We are beginning to hear people claiming that taxpayers would be best advised to do their own calculations because of Revenue errors," says Sharon Linnard, tax partner at KPMG "I think that is bad advice. While, of course, people should check the Revenue's figures, there are many advantages in getting the return in by the end of the month."If you do get your form in before the end of the month, the tax office will calculate your liability and let you know what tax you need to pay before 31 January 2001.
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