National Insurance Number

[welshchris]

Hey guys

Phoned the job centre to try and arrange an interview for the mrs to geta national insurance number when we get back but the bloke said that he cant give me an interview date until she actually starts working then it will take 10 days for the interview and another 6 weeks to recieve the number, does this sound right? so she will be paying emergency tax for 7/8 weeks?

Anyway of getting around it? and getting the interview before she starts work so wont get emergeny taxed as much?

Could i say she will be cleaning my mates house and get him to knock a letter together saying he is going to employ her?

Cheers

Chris

[alex100]

Be very careful what you do the interview for the NI Number is not a cursary affair - my wife was in for 45 minutes - they are very detailed in finding out what she has been doing - if she is entitled to work legally - what benefits she had been claiming - it also includes a lot of like stuff from the visa interview in Thailand. they will want to see pay slips, proof of NI payments on the temp number. I would keep it all above board.

[Rinrada]

You will probabally also have to spend an afternoon sitting around in one of our more delightfull Social Security offices while waiting for you interview/appointment and as said above very detailed and in depth.

In our case perm.N.I.number came through about 6 weeks later but K.W.had been working on her Temp.number which was arranged through an agency that she was with for almost a year.(school diner lady...all good experience)

[samran]

what the NI bloke told you is a pile of stinking poo. You can get one if you are actively looking for work (thats what the rules say). I think they are trying to discourage anyone from getting one as the process is already backed up.

When I first arrived in the UK a year ago I rang them up to organise an appointment. At that stage I wasn't working, but I told them I was looking for a job. After ringing about 20 different numbers which were all engaged, they organised an interview which was 2 weeks hence. It then took another 10 weeks for me to get my NI card.

Best to go down with KW to do a bit of hand holding and answer any curly questions. Take all ID you have including Passports and visas for the NI people to copy. I think you need to take a bank statement as well.

Once you get there, some plonker actually fills out a form for you (while they interview you). Whats funny about the whole process is the form is actually designed for the applicant to fill in, but they pay someone to do that for you.

[apetley]

what the NI bloke told you  is a pile of stinking poo. You can get one if you are actively looking for work (thats what the rules say). I think they are trying to discourage anyone from getting one as the process is already backed up.

When I first arrived in the UK a year ago I rang them up to organise an appointment. At that stage I wasn't working, but I told them I was looking for a job. After ringing about 20 different numbers which were all engaged, they organised an interview which was 2 weeks hence. It then took another 10 weeks for me to get my NI card.

Best to go down with KW to do a bit of hand holding and answer any curly questions. Take all ID you have including Passports and visas for the NI people to copy. I think you need to take a bank statement as well.

Once you get there, some plonker actually fills out a form for you (while they interview you). Whats funny about the whole process is the form is actually designed for the applicant to fill in, but they pay someone to do that for you.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Spot on advice!

Sounds like they are just trying to fob you off.

Wifey got her NI# after telling the Social she was looking for work, no problem at all.

10 minute interview and the card arrived in about a week.

Seems some offices are better than others.

[Dragonman]

Chris. Was told exactly the same as you. Only waited 2 weeks for the interview, but nearly a year for number. Spoke to National Insurance Centre many times, always told it was initiated by work or benefits. If you are in Wales, as I was, may have different rules to other guys in England.

She worked on a temp number for a long time. Don't fiddle it as they actually went to my wife's employer to check she was working there.

[the scouser]

I fiddled my wife's application. If the applicant is not already in employment you have to show that they are actively seeking work and this requires rejection letters to be adduced. Just get your mate to knock up a couple of letters refusing your wife a job. Even if the DWP checks them out, your mate can just confirm what he wrote in the letter.

Scouse.