National Insurance Number

It is expected that all who are able to work make a National Insurance contribution towards this common fund.

NI is used to trace each individual’s contribution into this fund. It is also used as a reference number to the social security system in the UK.

If you must get jobs in the UK, you need an NI number. It is however not necessary to have a National Insurance number before starting work. Sadly, many employers insist on potential employees producing an NI before granting them job.

Failure to pay a National Insurance (NI) Contribution means that one will not be eligible to getting certain NI dependent benefit and a full state pension. NI contributions are deducted straight from one’s wage weekly or monthly, and every three months if you are self employed.

If you are a job seeker and find it difficult to get a job because of delay in getting an NI number, you or your employer by law can create a temporary national insurance number for your use pending when the permanent number is obtained. See below on how to create a temporary NI number.

For those born in the UK, they are automatically issued an NI number at birth and a plastic card with their NI number and name dispatched to them just before their 16th birthday.

This is called the national insurance number card, an example you could see here. Refugees in the UK are also issued an NI automatically.

If you arrived into the UK as a child and do not have a NI Number, you will need to apply for one.

All prospective workers and students hoping to get job in the UK must apply for an NI number.

How to Apply for a National Insurance Number

If you were not born in the UK and have the right to work, you will need to apply for an NI number.

An application is made to the Department for Works and Pension for National Insurance Number. This can be done via your local jobcentre . You will need to provide:

• Proof of your identity. This could be your traveling document or international passport. It could also be your UK driving license if you have one with your photograph (passport) attached.

• Proof of your address. This is a document showing that you live at an address. This document could be in form of utility bills, provisional driving license, bank statement or your tenancy agreement. If you are new to the UK and does not yet have a valid proof of address, see legal genuine ways of obtaining a valid proof of address at our proof of address page.

• Proof that you are entitled to work in the UK. This could be the visa stamp page of your international passport or travel document showing entitlement to work. If you are a student, you may be required to provide a letter from your institution of learning that you have been enrolled into a course of study.

• Proof that you are actively seeking work. As started earlier, you do not actually need an NI number before been granted a job. If you have not still gotten a job, then documentary evidence that you are actively seeking employment will be required at the NI office. Such evidence could include letters inviting you to attend interview, any correspondence from a potential employer, a letter or email acknowledging receipt of your application form, a letter stating that you have been unsuccessful at an interview, e.t.c. Some job centers will request you submit four of such evidence that you have been actively seeking employment.

  For those already employed, a payslip or letter of job offer, is all that is needed as proof of working.

• Your employers name, full address and telephone number

• The postcode of the area you live and work.

How to Create a Temporary National Insurance Number

If you are been asked for a NINO as a pre-condition to been offered a job, you can present a temporary NI or NINO. Ideally, it is your employer that ought to create a temporary NI number for you. It is also legal for you to create one by yourself.

As stated above, an NI number consists of two letters, six digits and an optional letter. That is the national insurance number format. With this NI format, you can create a temporary NINO by starting with the two letters as TN (standing for Temporary Number) then your date of birth in day, month and last two digits of the year, and the last optional letter is represented by your sex.

If you were born on the 16th of March 1978, and you are female, your temporary national insurance number would be TN160378F.

If you were born on the 3rd of November 1982, and you are male, your temporary NI number would be TN031182M.

Temporary NI numbers are legal. Sadly, some employers who are not familiar with this will turn down the number if you tell them that it is temporary number. Ironically, they are supposed to issue you one if you do not have a NINO.

If you do not have an NI number, please do not use someone else’s Ni number, or worst still a fake national insurance number.

Using a fake national insurance number or someone else’s number will mean that all contributions you will be making will not be credited to you, but goes to that persons account.

You could be saving up a fat pension for someone else! Use a temporary NI number, and once you get a permanent NI, contact your pay roll or local tax office so that contributions you have made so far is credited to you account.

Lost National Insurance Number

If you have lost your national insurance number card or have forgotten your national insurance number and can not remember your NI, all you need to do is to look for the following items where your NINO will be:

• Your wage slip

• Your Tax return

• Your P60 or P45

• Letters from inland revenue

• Or phone your last employer for a copy.

If after these you still can not find your lost or forgotten National insurance number, you can contact the National Insurance Contribution office at:

National Insurance Contributions Office

Benton Park View

Newcastle-upon-Tyne

NE98 1ZZ

Tel: 0845 302 1479

You can get the UK national insurance number site by following this link .

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