Running electoral registration - England
National Insurance numbers
National Insurance numbers
National insurance numbers (NINo) should appear in the following combination of letters and numbers - two letters, six numbers, one letter. For example: QQ 123456 C.
The table below gives some other examples of things that may be submitted in place of the usual NINo with some guidance on sending these applications for verification.
Format of National Insurance number | Should I send the application for verification? |
---|---|
NINo does not contain a final letter | Yes – this is a valid submission and should be sent for verification as normal |
Temporary reference NINo - Two numbers (which can sometimes be found in correspondence from HMRC described as “National Insurance number”) | No – you are not required to submit a temporary reference for verification - proceed straight to the exceptions process |
The letters OO | No – you are not required to submit a temporary reference for verification - proceed straight to the exceptions process |
The letters TN | No – you are not required to submit a temporary reference for verification - proceed straight to the exceptions process |
You are not required to filter applications with temporary NINos manually, if an application is sent for verification as normal, it will fail, and you will proceed to the exceptions process.
When completing a paper form, some electors may mistakenly provide numbers other than their NINo. The most common are likely to be:
- NHS Number - these are 10 digits long, feature numbers only, and are normally laid out in a 3 – 3 – 4 format; and
- passport number - these are in varying formats, but not the same as either the NHS number or the NINo
In cases where the applicant has clearly provided the wrong number you should contact the applicant by any means of communication including email and telephone if you have the contact details, and ask them to provide the correct number.
An application which does not contain a correct NINo, is missing the applicant’s NINo, or does not give a reason why a NINo cannot be provided is not a complete application and you cannot determine it for purposes of being included on the electoral register until a NINo or a statement as to why a NINo cannot be provided has been given.
Who should have a National Insurance number?
Most eligible electors will have a NINo.
NINos are ordinarily, but not always, issued to:
- those who legally work in the UK
- those who claim benefits in the UK (including those who have had a Student Loan)
- those who are present in the UK just before their sixteenth birthday and whose parents are claiming child benefit for them
Who might not have a National Insurance number?
A small number of people may not have a NINo.
A number of applicants are Individuals who are eligible to vote in the UK but will not be in possession of a NINo might include (this list is not exhaustive):
- a European citizen who is studying in the UK and who is financially self-sufficient
- a European citizen who has been posted to work in the UK but who continues to pay tax in their home country
- a British young person who was not issued a NINo by HMRC’s automatic issuing process
- a Commonwealth citizen who lives in the UK and who is financially self-sufficient
- a European citizen who has never worked or claimed benefits in the UK
- a British citizen who has never worked