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[hobnob]

I've noticed that umbrellas tend to gradually increase the amount of PAYE over the course of the year. They have to guess how much tax will be due; if they overestimate then you can claim a rebate when you do your SATR next April, so you won't lose out, but it's annoying in the short term.

[hobnob]

Did you get a payslip from the umbrella company? (If not, ask them for one.) If so, you should be able to verify most of the figures, i/p pension contribution (if applicable) and employer/employee NI. Is income tax the only thing that's changed compared to previous months?

In fact, if you...

[hobnob]

Generally it's best to use questions where the answers won't change. So, as you said "favourite X" is a bad choice, but "what's the first film you saw in a cinema?" is better.

The new snag is that if one company has a data breach, the security questions could be used...

[hobnob]

A tip I heard is to knock on the bonnet of your car before every journey. That way, if there is an animal inside, it gives them time to clear out of the way before you sit down and start the engine.

[hobnob]

Yes, it's normal to have auto-enrolment, i.e. you will need to opt out if you don't want to make pension contributions. I would guess that the contributions are 3% for the employer and 5% for the employee. See:
Workplace pensions: What you, your employer and the government pay - GOV.UK (www.g...