National Insurance Numbers (Hansard, 29 June 1994)

§ Mr. Hague

The administration of the issue of national insurance numbers is a matter for Miss Ann Chant, the chief executive of the Contributions Agency. She will write to the hon. Member.

Letter from Ann Chant to Mr. Jeff Rooker, dated 28 June 1994: As Chief Executive of the Contributions Agency I am responsible for answering questions about relevant operational matters. I have been asked to reply to your question about the procedure by which a young person under the age of 16 years would be issued with a National Insurance number (NINO). The Agency has an automatic system which is designed to provide young people with details of their NINO before they reach age 16. The system uses the information held on the Department's Child Benefit computer records and most young people whose parents are in receipt of Child Benefit are identified when they are between the ages of 15 years 2 months and 15 years 8 months. Just before their 16th birthday a plastic NI number card containing details of their name and NINO is issued to the young person. If the parent or guardian has a different surname from the young person, they are asked to confirm the name which is to appear on the NI number card before it is issued. As Child Benefit is not generally paid for young people in the care of local government authorities, an arrangement exists whereby the young person's social worker can ask for a NI number card to be issued. This voluntary agreement avoids the need for the young person to attend a social security office in person. Special arrangements are also in place for children of Her Majesty's Forces personnel serving abroad. As the payment of 568W Child Benefit is usually undertaken by the employing service/department no record of the young person is held on the Child Benefit computer record. The young person's boarding school or their parents can therefore complete a form asking for their NI number card to be issued. The form is passed to the Agency via the relevant unit paymaster. Anyone who does not receive NI number cards in one of these ways must apply, in person, to their local social security office for a NINO on or after their 16th birthday. I hope that this information will prove useful.