National Insurance cards are no more

HMRC have announced that instead of issuing a plastic card to an individual they will instead just send them a letter.

The following extract is from the HMRC informal newsletter to employers:

We told you in February’s Employer Bulletin that we are withdrawing the plastic National Insurance number (NINo) card and replacing it with a letter. We know that many employers understandably expect to see an individual’s National Insurance number card when taking on a new employee. In future not every new employee you take on will have a plastic card, as some will have been informed of their NINo by letter.

The important thing is the number itself. You will still need to know the right National Insurance number for your employees, and record this on your payroll records and the returns you send us.

We have already stopped sending out plastic cards to people who have requested a replacement to their original card. Now when a customer asks us to confirm their National Insurance number, we send them a letter. From summer 2011 we will stop sending National Insurance number cards to adults who apply for a National Insurance number via the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP). Individuals will receive their National Insurance number in a notification letter from DWP. From the autumn we will stop sending National Insurance number cards altogether.

If a new employee does not know their National Insurance number when they start work with you, ask them to check a previous payslip, P60, or letter from HMRC or the Department for Work and Pensions.