The digital age

NI numbers are not allocated at birth, even now, AFAIK.

How did you get an NI number that far back if you have only recently retired ?. Something doesn't seem to add up.

Andrew

They also aren't unique.

They *should* be, else they are pointless

They supposed to be

NI numbers are unique, issued at or before the 16th birthday or under other special circumstances

Why not simply look it up instead of arguing?

Are you new here?

Define "Adequately". I used to write and distribute software. No matter how much testing we did, there were always bugs. If its "on premises" hardware you need a duplicate of everthing.....

Dave

My NI number was allocated some 60 years ago, when I left school. How else d'ye think they allocate your NI payments to the appropriate account without an NI number to tie it to?

I still write and distribute software. Mr pinnerite was using a browser, not some random bit of hardware the devs may not have access to. Writing to standards such as HTML5 helps, as does ignoring rubbish browsers from Microsoft.

I just did that. It does appear that duplicates happen for whatever reason. For example:

Why not? How do you know at what age I retired. Never make assumptions. They can turn round and bite.

Alan

They are not because they are recycled.

I really don't care what the service that will get into trouble if it turns out there are duplicates says.

I know someone who had an NI number that was also issued to someone else. It was discovered in the early 1990s when they had to make a "social security" claim and was told they hadn't paid any NI. A quick display of PAYE payslips with said NI being credited sorted things out.

This was done in person in the office. Apparently it "wasn't unknown" and my friend was lucky it had been spotted so soon. There were tales of people going to claim a pension only to be told they hadn't paid any NI.