do i need a business a/c

I don't think you need to set up a business account as a sole trader, especially if you're only part-time. OTOH, you might find that a separate account for your freelance work makes things a lot clearer when you need to do your tax returns.

:banana

Freelancers' Questions: Do I need a business bank account? :: Freelance UK

Freelancers' Questions: Do sole traders need a business account? :: Freelance UK

Second personal account

I have considered opening a second current account (with another bank) to keep my freelance accounting separate, as business accounts often attract much higher fees. Is this legal/acceptable? I don't know. I am a sole trader, any further info appreciated.

You should check the terms and conditions of a personal account to check if it can actually be used for business transactions, I don't know how common it is but my Halifax account expressly forbids it on pain of death.

I wanted a business account anyway, for the unnecessarily outsized cheque book (and I suppose ease of organisation, but mostly the cheque book).

The Nationwide is just closing its business account (I looked at it originally and decided it wasn't worth having) to new customers, because they say their counters and way of business can't cope with people paying in large amounts of cheques and the like.

As I understand it, as a sole trader there's no obligation actually to have a business account, and most business accounts will be way beyond what a freelancer needs anyway. I suspect the problem is actually the definition of "business account" - they do have a lot of extra features and numerous implications compared with a current account, and I suspect this is what people mean. I'm certainly using a common-or-garden current account, and nobody's ever commented, and I even pointed out that it would be for my freelancing income and they didn't bat an eyelid. It probably only gets 6-8 payments a month into it anyway, from a handful of different customers. A friend who's been freelancing for a decade doesn't even have a separate current account for her business payments, but I think it's easier for your tax returns if you do.