When and where should I apply for a National Insurance number?

You should apply for a NI number if:

you will be making a claim for benefit, or
your partner is claiming benefit for you.
This should be done through your local Jobcentre Plus office. You can find your local office on the Jobcentre Plus website.

You should also apply for a NI number if:

you have started or are about to start work
you are self-employed, or
you want to pay voluntary NI contributions and would benefit from paying them.
For these applications you should telephone 0845 600 0643 between 8.00am and 6.00pm, Monday to Friday.

If you are hard of hearing, or have speech difficulties, call our textphone on 0845 600 0644