National Insurance number
Encyclopedia
The National Insurance number is a number used in the United Kingdom
in the administration of the National Insurance
or social security system. It is also used for some purposes in the UK tax system. Because it is one of two numbers (along with the NHS number
) allocated to almost every adult resident of the country, it is used for some limited purposes to check identity.
The number is sometimes referred to as a NI No or NINO.
Persons from abroad who wish to work in the UK, or those to whom a number was not initially allocated as children, may apply for a number through the Department for Work and Pensions
(DWP). The prefixes used are typically different from those used in the normal run.
Neither of the first two letters can be D, F, I, Q, U or V. The second letter also cannot be O. The prefixes BG, GB, NK, KN, TN, NT and ZZ are not allocated. Validation lists of issued two-letter prefixes are published from time to time.
After the two prefix letters, the six digits are issued sequentially from to . The last two digits determine the day of the week on which various social security benefits are payable and when unemployed claimants need to attend their Jobcentre to sign on (renew their claims): 00 to 19 for Monday, 20 to 39 for Tuesday, 40 to 59 for Wednesday, 60 to 79 for Thursday and 80 to 99 for Friday.
The suffix letter is either A, B, C or D. The NI number is unique without the suffix letter, so, for example, if exists, then there will be no other numbers beginning with . In official electronic submissions, the final letter may be represented by a space if not known.
Until 1975, the suffixes A, B, C and D at the end of the NI number signified the period of validity of the National Insurance cards originally used to collect National Insurance contributions (NICs). Cards were exchanged every twelve months and because of the very large numbers of cards issued the exchange was staggered. Suffix A cards ran from March of one year until March of the next when they were exchanged for a new one. Stagger B suffix cards ran from June until the following June, stagger C from September until the following September and stagger D from December until the following December. For example a B stagger card issued in 1955 might have run from the first Monday in June that year until the first Sunday in June the following year. This staggered system operated from 5 July 1948 until 1975, at which time the A stagger cards were extended to run an extra five weeks, until 5 April 1975, in line with the end of the tax year. From 6 April 1975 onwards, a computerised National Insurance Recording System (NIRS) was used to allocate all NICs by tax years.
In Great Britain, expired NI cards were sorted into one hundred separate groups corresponding to the final two numbers of the NI number and were posted to the individual insured person's NI account (the RF1) by the corresponding one hundred ledger sections at the Records Branch of the Central Office of the Ministry of Pensions and National Insurance
and its later incarnations - Ministry of Social Security, Department of Health and Social Security
, Department of Social Security
, Contributions Agency, etc. These 100 sections dealt not only with the recording of NI contributions but with requests for information about qualifying contributions necessary to pay sickness, unemployment, widows and other benefits and also with any correspondence arising from those NI accounts and NI cards. Within each of the 100 sections, NI numbers were allocated among 16 splits with one clerk administering each split. To trace unknown NI numbers, a general index contained millions of small RF2 index slips, filed in order of surname and listing the name(s), date of birth and NI number for every person within the National Insurance scheme.
The Northern Ireland National Insurance scheme is funded and administered separately from the Great Britain scheme but operates identically so that, in practice, the same rules apply throughout the UK.
Another type of temporary NI number is the Revenue-issued "temporary reference" used when HMRC is unable to trace a taxpayer's original NI number. It follows the format 63T12345.
social security office where claims were processed), MW (used from 1980 to 1987 for migrant workers), NC (formerly for stakeholder pensions), PP (for use by pension schemes as PP999999P), and PY or PZ (both used for tax-only accounts created prior to 2003).
From 1984 until 2011, when a person was allocated an NI number he or she also received a plastic 'numbercard' of similar proportions to a credit card
with the number raised on the front. Prior to 1984, a manila notification card
was issued instead. The card is only used as a reminder of the number and the card itself is not needed to start work. Numbercards were phased out from September 2010, and the issue of numbercards ceased completely in October 2011. NI numbers are now notified by letter.
hold the prefix MA. Similarly, those issued in Jersey
start with JY, and those issued in Guernsey
hold the prefix GY. Only Channel Island NINOs issued prior to 1975 are validated, and recognised for UK use by HMRC.
s (ISAs), to check that an individual has opened only one ISA in a tax year.
However, the NI number is not used universally as a tax identification number. Taxpayers who need to file a tax return
are given a different number, a Unique Taxpayer Reference (UTR), which is used as a reference number in the self assessment tax system.
, the NI number is, along with the NHS number
, one of only two systems which provide almost every adult in the country with a code number. Consequently, NI numbers are sometimes used for identification purposes in other contexts which have nothing to do with their original National Insurance purpose - such as evidence of right to work in the UK. The NI card, however, is not proof of identity.
Since 2002 the National Insurance number has been required in Northern Ireland
to register to vote
. There have been proposals to extend this system to the rest of the UK.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
in the administration of the National Insurance
National Insurance
National Insurance in the United Kingdom was initially a contributory system of insurance against illness and unemployment, and later also provided retirement pensions and other benefits...
or social security system. It is also used for some purposes in the UK tax system. Because it is one of two numbers (along with the NHS number
NHS number
The NHS number is a unique number used by the National Health Service in England and Wales to identify patients. Scotland's equivilant is called a CHI Number...
) allocated to almost every adult resident of the country, it is used for some limited purposes to check identity.
The number is sometimes referred to as a NI No or NINO.
Allocation of number
People born and resident in the UK are assigned an NI number shortly before their 16th birthday. However, allocation of this number might occur a long time before this occasion (the date can usually be established from the prefix letters used), and siblings may have consecutive numbers - this is dependent on the payment of Child Benefit.Persons from abroad who wish to work in the UK, or those to whom a number was not initially allocated as children, may apply for a number through the Department for Work and Pensions
Department for Work and Pensions
The Department for Work and Pensions is the largest government department in the United Kingdom, created on June 8, 2001 from the merger of the employment part of the Department for Education and Employment and the Department of Social Security and headed by the Secretary of State for Work and...
(DWP). The prefixes used are typically different from those used in the normal run.
Format
The format of the number is two prefix letters, six digits, and one suffix letter. The example used is typically AB123456C. Often, the number is printed with spaces to pair off the digits, like this: .Neither of the first two letters can be D, F, I, Q, U or V. The second letter also cannot be O. The prefixes BG, GB, NK, KN, TN, NT and ZZ are not allocated. Validation lists of issued two-letter prefixes are published from time to time.
After the two prefix letters, the six digits are issued sequentially from to . The last two digits determine the day of the week on which various social security benefits are payable and when unemployed claimants need to attend their Jobcentre to sign on (renew their claims): 00 to 19 for Monday, 20 to 39 for Tuesday, 40 to 59 for Wednesday, 60 to 79 for Thursday and 80 to 99 for Friday.
The suffix letter is either A, B, C or D. The NI number is unique without the suffix letter, so, for example, if exists, then there will be no other numbers beginning with . In official electronic submissions, the final letter may be represented by a space if not known.
Until 1975, the suffixes A, B, C and D at the end of the NI number signified the period of validity of the National Insurance cards originally used to collect National Insurance contributions (NICs). Cards were exchanged every twelve months and because of the very large numbers of cards issued the exchange was staggered. Suffix A cards ran from March of one year until March of the next when they were exchanged for a new one. Stagger B suffix cards ran from June until the following June, stagger C from September until the following September and stagger D from December until the following December. For example a B stagger card issued in 1955 might have run from the first Monday in June that year until the first Sunday in June the following year. This staggered system operated from 5 July 1948 until 1975, at which time the A stagger cards were extended to run an extra five weeks, until 5 April 1975, in line with the end of the tax year. From 6 April 1975 onwards, a computerised National Insurance Recording System (NIRS) was used to allocate all NICs by tax years.
In Great Britain, expired NI cards were sorted into one hundred separate groups corresponding to the final two numbers of the NI number and were posted to the individual insured person's NI account (the RF1) by the corresponding one hundred ledger sections at the Records Branch of the Central Office of the Ministry of Pensions and National Insurance
Ministry of Pensions and National Insurance
The Ministry of Pensions and National Insurance or MPNI was a British government ministry responsible for the administration and delivery of welfare benefits...
and its later incarnations - Ministry of Social Security, Department of Health and Social Security
Department of Health and Social Security
The Department of Health and Social Security was a ministry of the British government in existence for twenty years from 1968 until 1988, and was headed by the Secretary of State for Social Services.-History:...
, Department of Social Security
Department of Social Security
The Department of Social Security is the name of a defunct governmental agency in the United Kingdom.The DSS replaced the older Department of Health and Social Security, from 1988 until 2001, when it was itself largely replaced as a department of the Government of the United Kingdom by the...
, Contributions Agency, etc. These 100 sections dealt not only with the recording of NI contributions but with requests for information about qualifying contributions necessary to pay sickness, unemployment, widows and other benefits and also with any correspondence arising from those NI accounts and NI cards. Within each of the 100 sections, NI numbers were allocated among 16 splits with one clerk administering each split. To trace unknown NI numbers, a general index contained millions of small RF2 index slips, filed in order of surname and listing the name(s), date of birth and NI number for every person within the National Insurance scheme.
The Northern Ireland National Insurance scheme is funded and administered separately from the Great Britain scheme but operates identically so that, in practice, the same rules apply throughout the UK.
Temporary numbers
In the past, employers sometimes allocated their employees a temporary insurance number, which followed the format , where 'TN' stands for temporary number and is static and x is usually M for male or F for female and the numbers in the mid-section are the employee's date of birth. In the case of a woman born on 31 December 1958, for example, the temporary NI number would most likely be . Temporary NI numbers cannot be used to trace back any NI credits or personal details. The government now discourages the use of these numbers.Another type of temporary NI number is the Revenue-issued "temporary reference" used when HMRC is unable to trace a taxpayer's original NI number. It follows the format 63T12345.
Administrative numbers
Reference numbers similar in format to NI numbers are sometimes allocated for tax or benefit purposes with special prefix letters. Special prefixes used in the past include the letters OO (for tax credit claims), CR (for investigations), FY (formerly for Attendance Allowance claims, named after the FyldeThe Fylde
The Fylde ; Scandinavian: "field") is a coastal plain in western Lancashire, England. It is roughly a 13-mile square-shaped peninsula, bounded by Morecambe Bay to the north, the Ribble estuary to the south, the Irish Sea to the west, and the Bowland hills to the east...
social security office where claims were processed), MW (used from 1980 to 1987 for migrant workers), NC (formerly for stakeholder pensions), PP (for use by pension schemes as PP999999P), and PY or PZ (both used for tax-only accounts created prior to 2003).
Numbercards
Credit card
A credit card is a small plastic card issued to users as a system of payment. It allows its holder to buy goods and services based on the holder's promise to pay for these goods and services...
with the number raised on the front. Prior to 1984, a manila notification card
Manila paper
Manila paper is a type of paper originally made from Manila hemp or abacá. It is buff in color and the fibers are usually visible to the naked eye. Because manila paper is generally inexpensive, it is commonly given to children for making child art....
was issued instead. The card is only used as a reminder of the number and the card itself is not needed to start work. Numbercards were phased out from September 2010, and the issue of numbercards ceased completely in October 2011. NI numbers are now notified by letter.
Crown dependencies
National Insurance numbers issued in the Isle of ManIsle of Man
The Isle of Man , otherwise known simply as Mann , is a self-governing British Crown Dependency, located in the Irish Sea between the islands of Great Britain and Ireland, within the British Isles. The head of state is Queen Elizabeth II, who holds the title of Lord of Mann. The Lord of Mann is...
hold the prefix MA. Similarly, those issued in Jersey
Jersey
Jersey, officially the Bailiwick of Jersey is a British Crown Dependency off the coast of Normandy, France. As well as the island of Jersey itself, the bailiwick includes two groups of small islands that are no longer permanently inhabited, the Minquiers and Écréhous, and the Pierres de Lecq and...
start with JY, and those issued in Guernsey
Guernsey
Guernsey, officially the Bailiwick of Guernsey is a British Crown dependency in the English Channel off the coast of Normandy.The Bailiwick, as a governing entity, embraces not only all 10 parishes on the Island of Guernsey, but also the islands of Herm, Jethou, Burhou, and Lihou and their islet...
hold the prefix GY. Only Channel Island NINOs issued prior to 1975 are validated, and recognised for UK use by HMRC.
Use for tax purposes
The National Insurance number is used as a reference number in the Pay As You Earn system, and also by the self-employed. It is also used in applications for Individual Savings AccountIndividual Savings Account
An Individual Savings Account is a financial product available to residents in the United Kingdom. It is designed for the purpose of investment and savings with a favourable tax status. Money is contributed from after tax income and not subjected to income tax or capital gains tax within a holding...
s (ISAs), to check that an individual has opened only one ISA in a tax year.
However, the NI number is not used universally as a tax identification number. Taxpayers who need to file a tax return
Tax return (United Kingdom)
In the United Kingdom, a tax return is a document that must be filed with the HM Revenue & Customs declaring liability for taxation. Different bodies must file different returns with respect to various forms of taxation...
are given a different number, a Unique Taxpayer Reference (UTR), which is used as a reference number in the self assessment tax system.
Use for identification
As the UK does not have a system of personal identity cards, and not everyone has a passportPassport
A passport is a document, issued by a national government, which certifies, for the purpose of international travel, the identity and nationality of its holder. The elements of identity are name, date of birth, sex, and place of birth....
, the NI number is, along with the NHS number
NHS number
The NHS number is a unique number used by the National Health Service in England and Wales to identify patients. Scotland's equivilant is called a CHI Number...
, one of only two systems which provide almost every adult in the country with a code number. Consequently, NI numbers are sometimes used for identification purposes in other contexts which have nothing to do with their original National Insurance purpose - such as evidence of right to work in the UK. The NI card, however, is not proof of identity.
Since 2002 the National Insurance number has been required in Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
to register to vote
Voter registration
Voter registration is the requirement in some democracies for citizens and residents to check in with some central registry specifically for the purpose of being allowed to vote in elections. An effort to get people to register is known as a voter registration drive.-Centralized/compulsory vs...
. There have been proposals to extend this system to the rest of the UK.
External links
- UK Government Data Standards Catalogue - National Insurance Number - The official UK government definition of the NI number format. Also includes links to the XML Schema data type definition in the CitizenIdentificationTypes schema published by the Office of the e-Envoy.
- Format and Security: What a NINO looks like HM Revenue & Customs official page