You will be issued with a National Insurance Number Card just before your 16th birthday. This is personal to you, and when you start work you’ll need to tell your employer its number. There's more information on Directgov, type 'National Insurance Card' into the search box.
Once you get a job and are earning a wage over a set amount you’ll start to ‘earn’ National Insurance contributions and make a contribution to them too. National Insurance contributions are made to provide you with benefits at times when you are unable to work. The most common of these are:
- contributory Jobseeker’s Allowance
- Statutory Sick Pay
- Statutory Maternity Pay
- State Retirement Pension.
If you don’t receive your National Insurance Number Card, or mislay it you should tell your local Jobcentre Plus office. If you want a replacement card you'll need to fill in an application form. Remember you're only allowed one replacement card.
Or you can contact the National Insurance Registration Helpline on 0845 915 7006, Monday to Friday 8.00am - 5.00pm.
You can use the library in your Connexions Centre too as it has information for you to read or take away.