Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many national insurance numbers are currently issued in the UK.

The latest available figures (Feb 2015) show approximately 89.2 million National Insurance number (NINo) records on the Department’s Customer Information System (CIS). These consist of:

· 67.1 million – Live Adult NINo records

· 22.1 million – Deceased Adult NINo records

The number of National Insurance numbers held on CIS is always higher than the UK population. This is because once allocated, a National Insurance number remains on the Department’s computer system. This includes both deceased records and where an individual who has been allocated a National Insurance number leaves this country. This is because the National Insurance number provides a permanent numerical link between the individual and their National Insurance Contribution Record which determines entitlement to contributory benefits and State Pension.