3.12.3 Registration for National Insurance |
Contents
1. Background
The Department for Work and Pensions automatically issues National Insurance numbers to children when the payment of child benefit ceases. However, child benefit is not paid in respect of children in care and therefore they are not included in this process.
The lack of a National Insurance number can cause problems in obtaining employment.
This procedure, which has been set up with the agreement of the Department for Work and Pensions, will ensure the registration of children in care for National Insurance purposes and the issue of a National Insurance number to them in a non-stigmatising way.
2. Procedure
Where a child in care reaches the age of 15 years and 9 months and has not already received a National Insurance number, the social worker must complete Form CA353OU issued by the Department for Work and Pensions.
A supply of the Form is held by and available only from;
Department for Work and Pensions,
New Registrations,
Room 102A,
Newcastle Central Office,
Longbenton,
Newcastle
NE98 1YX.
The Department for Work and Pensions will not accept photocopies of the Form. The social worker must request the Form from the above address by fax or post on letter-headed paper, and include the following information:
- Name of child (including any former names the child may have used)
- Date of birth
- Date the child first became Looked After
- Previous addresses (maximum of 3, which must include the address prior to being looked after)
- Documentary evidence of the child's identity, for example a copy of the child's birth certificate, Care Order etc
Once the Form has been obtained, completed and double-checked for accuracy by the social worker in consultation with the child, the social worker must arrange for the local authority's authentication stamp to be endorsed on the Form. The Form should then be returned to the Department for Work and Pensions at the above address within 4 weeks, and a National Insurance number will be issued to the child.
End