Festive tips and advice from nidirect

The government website nidirect has lots of useful advice to help people have a safer and potentially healthier Christmas.

There’s a lot to think about in the run-up to the yuletide celebrations, from buying presents to cooking the turkey, nights out partying to nights in with the relatives. It’s a busy time and nidirect, which has had more than 2.5million page impressions since its launch in March 2009, can help.

There is plenty of advice on how people can enjoy themselves without overdoing it. Also, if they leave the car at home, they can find out how to get home via public transport.

Most people will be buying presents for family and friends. Be careful not to get caught out by any scams this Christmas, and if too much has been spent, there’s advice on how to manage debt.

From wrapping paper to your real Christmas tree, find out what to do with all the recyclable waste once the turkey has been eaten and the presents opened.

Christmas should be a happy time and it’s important to take care around the home. There are many hidden dangers at Christmas, from faulty fairy lights to undercooked turkeys, and nidirect has tips on how to be safer around the home.

Christmas can also be a lonely time for some people. If anyone is feeling lonely or in despair, and needs to speak to someone confidentially, nidirect can point the way to the help that is available.

Finally, if anyone needs to access government services over the holiday period, some offices might be closed. But there are things that can be done online, from booking an MOT test to applying for a new passport, finding out what benefits you might be eligible for to making a complaint about unfair trading.

The nidirect website offers everyone with access to the internet an opportunity to easily look at government information or carry out transactions - all on the one site and at a time that suits them. They can save time by not having to visit a number of websites.

Notes to editors:

1. The nidirect website address is: www.nidirect.gov.uk
2. A page impression is a hit to any file classified as a page. In order to view a web page with embedded images, for example, a browser must retrieve multiple files. The page and its embedded files counts as a single page impression. SmartSource Data Collection is used which is based on data from the user’s browser, overcomes a lot of the problems of over-inflation from log files analysis and provides more information on how users interact with the site.
3. NI Direct can also be followed on social networking sites Facebook and Twitter.
4. Media enquiries to OFMDFM Press Office on 028 9037 8142 or 07850 187134. Out of office hours please contact the Duty Press Office via pager number 07699 715 440 and your call will be returned.