Call the National Insurance Contact Number for All N.I. Enquiries
If you are living and working in the UK and are over 16, are an employee earning more than £155 per week or self-employed earning over £5965 per year you will have to pay National Insurance contributions to qualify for certain benefits such as state pensions etc.
If you have any questions relating to the level of contributions you are making or you would like to enquire about your contribution history, the National Insurance phone number above is the number you need to call. The operators will be able to provide you with any information you need, or answer any questions.
National Insurance Helpline Numbers
The following numbers are available for advice and support:
| Department | Contact Number |
|---|---|
| National Insurance Helpline | 0300 200 3500 |
| New or Lost Numbers | 0300 200 3500 |
| Call From Abroad | +44 191 203 7010 |
Class 1 Rates
How much you should be paying based on your income if you are working for an employer.
Class 1 Thresholds
The level of income at which employers and employees become liable to pay N.I. contributions.
Class 2 and Class 4 Contributions
These two classes are specifically for self-employed people; which class you fall under will depend on the level of profits you make in each tax year.
Class 3 National Insurance
This is a voluntary class and is in place to allow individuals to maintain contributions during gaps in their employment history when they are not claiming benefits. If, for example, you decided to travel overseas for a period of time, you could elect to pay Class 3 contributions to ensure that you do not miss out on any benefits in the future.
Changes in Rates
At the start of each new tax year, there is the possibility that N.I. rates may change. If you would like to know whether this is the case at the start of any particular year, you can call the National Insurance Telephone Number at the top of the page.
Statutory Payments
These are payments made by employers during periods of time when employees are not actively working, such as when they are sick or on maternity leave. Information concerning these payments can also be requested at any time by calling the National Insurance Helpline.
Statement Requests
If you want to check whether there are any gaps in your contribution history that may cause problems at a later date, you can request a statement by calling the number provided.
Why Is National Insurance Important?
The reason it is so important to stay up to date with your contributions and to rectify any problems at the earliest possible opportunity is because there are a number of key benefits that are linked to your N.I. payments.
- Basic State Pension – This is the basic amount to which every UK citizen is entitled after retiring, assuming they have kept their N.I. contributions up to date. This is obviously a very important benefit as without it, you could struggle to look after yourself in your old age.
- Additional State Pension – The contributions you made while employed may also have gone toward an additional pension, which is basically an extra amount paid over and above the basic pension. During any periods of time when you were self-employed, unemployed, or engaged in full-time training, the contributions you made would not have gone towards the additional pension. This is because the rate of contributions for people in these categories is lower than for those in full-time employment. For an in-depth explanation of how this benefit is calculated, you can of course call the National Insurance Contact Number and ask for further details.
- New State Pension – For those who are yet to retire, the above two pensions are going to be replaced by this one: a single state pension that is based on the N.I. contributions you have made throughout your life. It is designed to be simpler and easier to understand but of course, this may not always be the case. For those with more complicated employment histories that may include periods of unemployment, self-employment, or times when you were simply otherwise engaged, it is recommended you call the National Insurance Number UK to ascertain your position regarding future pension payments.
- Jobseeker’s Allowance – If you are out of work for any length of time, you may qualify for contribution-based jobseeker’s allowance, i.e. unemployment benefits that are based on the National Insurance contributions you have paid over the years.
- Employment and Support Allowance – This contribution-based benefit is designed to help those who are unable to work due to sickness or disability. Again, it is related to the contributions that you have made during your working life.
- Bereavement Allowance – If your spouse dies when you are over 45 but under the state retirement age, it may be possible for you to claim bereavement allowance for up to a year. The amount you are entitled to will depend on the level of your late husband or wife’s National Insurance contributions and how old you are when they pass away.
- Maternity Allowance – Women who do not qualify for Statutory Maternity Pay may be able to claim this benefit instead. Self-employed mothers-to-be who are paying Class 2 N.I. contributions, for example, may apply for Maternity Allowance. The amount received will depend on the level of N.I. contributions that have been made.
Resolving Problems with Your Contributions
As you can see from the above list of benefits, there are a number of very good reasons that you should tackle any problems that arise with your N.I. contributions as soon as you become aware of them
If you believe that you have not been fully credited for the payments you have made, you can speak to a member of the National Insurance complaints team by calling the number above.
We hope that the information on this page has proved to be useful to you and that you are able to quickly resolve any problems you may have.
Find Your Lost National Insurance Number
If you have lost your National Insurance number or card there are several places and documentation you can check to try and locate it. Firstly if you are in employment you can check your payslips, P60, P45 or any letter regarding pensions, tax. If you are currently receiving benefits any letters relating to your benefits should contain your NI number.
Failing this you can complete a CA5403 form which can be found on the official www.gov.uk website here.
If you have lost your National Insurance card HMRC no longer send these out so it’s not necessary to have the plastic National Insurance card, however you will still need the number so if you believe your National Insurance number is lost follow the above steps to retrieve it. Failing this you can set up a Personal Tax Account on the gov.uk website and you will be able to view it on your account.
Failing the above you can call the National Insurance numbers helpline on 0300 200 3500 and they will post your number out to you within 10 working days.
Apply for a National Insurance Number
If you are a UK resident you should be sent a N.I number automatically before your 16th birthday, if you are over 20 and haven’t been sent one you can call 0300 200 3500 or apply one through the official website here.
When is the Best Time to Call?
The National Insurance Phone Number can be reached on 0300 200 3500. Lines are available from 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday. Mornings tend to be the busiest times so if you are having difficulty getting through, you may like to try calling after lunch instead. The best time to contact the National Insurance helpline is from 10:30am – 16:00pm to avoid the peak calling times.