A National Insurance Number (NI number) is a unique identifier for tax and benefits purposes. You may be asked to provide it at other times too, for example when opening a savings account. You must have the right to work or study in the UK to get a National Insurance number.
National Insurance Contributions
Anyone between 16 years old and the state pension age who earns above a set annual amount has to pay National Insurance Contributions. These are collected through payroll by Her Majesty's Revenue & Customs (HMRC) and go towards state benefits, such as the National Health Service and state pension.
You must have a National Insurance (NI) number to be able to work in the UK. You may have been given an NI number as part of a visa application - if so, it will be on your Biometric Residence Permit. If not, you can apply for a National Insurance number by phone. Special rules apply for people from the European Economic Area (EEA)**, or from countries with which the UK has reciprocal agreements. Further details can be found on the HRMC website. **these may be subject to change
University employees
You must notify your Departmental Administrator of your NI number as soon as you have one. They will notify the Payroll Team to make sure that you pay the correct tax and National Insurance contributions. You can check your payslips to see how much tax and National Insurance you have paid.