Written question asked by Baroness Warsi (Conservative), in the House of Lords. It was answered by Lord McKenzie of Luton (Labour) on Tuesday, 23 February 2010.

National Insurance

Question: To ask Her Majesty's Government what procedures are in place to ensure illegal immigrants are not able to obtain national insurance numbers.

Answer: The Department for Work and Pensions has the responsibility for the allocation of national insurance numbers to adults. The department does not issue national insurance numbers to illegal immigrants. The department conducts thorough identity and immigration status checks on applications for national insurance numbers from foreign nationals. The department works closely with the UK Border Agency to identify illegal immigrants and an applicant who could not demonstrate that they were in this country legally would not be given a national insurance number. Anyone who has previously acquired a national insurance number but no longer has the right to live, work or study in the UK does not have access to the benefits system and the use of a national insurance number in isolation is not sufficient to obtain benefits. Similarly, a national insurance number is not sufficient to demonstrate an entitlement to work.

Secondary information