National Insurance Number for Non Working Spouse

[1963British]

I am British and my spouse has ILR but does not work in the UK.

She would like to pay Voluntary Class 3 NIC, open a Cash ISA and open a non employed stakeholder pension plan. All good things for a non working spouse to do in order to help build their own retirement security.

The instructions on the publications and the website from the Department of Work and Pensions and HMRC all state that you need to apply for NIN if you want to pay voluntary Class 3 and would benefit from that.

Well the person that wrote the publications knew the law but no one at Job Centre Plus or HMRC seems to understand even when I point out what we want to do is on their very own web sites.

When I call DWP or Job Centre Plus to schedule an appointment to apply for a NIN, they tell me to call HMRC because they only issue NINs to those in or seeking work.

When I call HMRC they tell me Job Centre Plus is supposed to do it and they rightfully cite the publications that state that.

I have now made multiple calls, spoken to supervisors and written letters. The opinion of Job Centre Plus is that they only do NIN issuance interviews to those seeking work even though their website and publications say we need to contact them to get a NIN to pay voluntary Class 3.

At some point, in one of the calls it was suggested that we just say she is looking for work and then they would happily process the NIN application. I "understand" where the person is coming from but my wife will be applying for citizenship in a couple years and well that is a little dodgey. Our "life in the UK" is literally making sure that nothing is done that could be considered an offense.

Any thoughts?

I admit that we are probably one of a handful where someone who has never worked in the UK wants to make voluntary payments to the Treasury!!

[stmellon]

I... it was suggested that we just say she is looking for work and then they would happily process the NIN application. I "understand" where the person is coming from but my wife will be applying for citizenship in a couple years and well that is a little dodgey. Our "life in the UK" is literally making sure that nothing is done that could be considered an offense.

Hmm... this is what I was going to suggest. Why do you think that it is "dodgy" to state that she is looking for work? It doesn't mean that she is compelled to claim unemployment benefit or that she would be compelled to take a job. What offense are you concerned about committing here?