National Insurace Card

[jacobyte]

With all this talk of ID cards, etc, what purpose does a National Insurance Card serve?

I got mine when I was 16, and kept it in my wallet alongside various other paraphernalia that have since "expired" .

Neither has it ever been asked for by an official or doctor, nor have I ever removed it from my wallet, except for:

- Scraping frost from my windscreen
- A front door entry device at Uni 10 years ago when I lost my Yale key
- Migrating to a new wallet
- To look at right now

After 15 years, it is now pentagonal, has 4 different holes in it and is rather faded, but I still keep it on me. Indeed, it's been to hundreds of gigs at various places around the world, and has undoubtedly travelled more miles than anything else on my person, including my own body cells, which have all been replaced at least twice since I got my NI card.

So... what's it REALLY for? Any takers?

Edit: and can someone please put an "N" for me in the title? Thanks

>>> Edited by jacobyte on Thursday 3rd February 14:13

[crazylegs]

I lost mine, so I rang the number and they said there's no need to replace it.

So now, everytime I need to know my NI number I have to look at a payslip, its not right there in my wallet. Not really an inconvenience to be honest...

Interesting question.

[andy4200]

jacobyte said:

- Scraping frost from my windscreen - A front door entry device at Uni 10 years ago when I lost my Yale key - Migrating to a new wallet - To look at right now

Mine has had most use cleaning the iced up windows but option 2 has had it's fair share of action.

To be honest, now that you have mentioned it I can't find it!!!

[v15ben]

As long as you know the NI number then you can write that on wage claim forms and suchlike. The actual card does seem like a waste of time really!!

[wolves_wanderer]

The only time I have ever used my national insurance card was to prove I was 16 to buy a packet of fags. Strangely the fact that I had driven to the shop, parked outside the window and had the keys in my hand didn't persuade the assistant.

[rude-boy]

crazylegs said:

I lost mine, so I rang the number and they said there's no need to replace it. So now, everytime I need to know my NI number I have to look at a payslip, its not right there in my wallet. Not really an inconvenience to be honest... Interesting question.

Binned mine a few weeks back as it had fallen to peices. Now I bloody need it to fill out an E111 in readiness for Le Mans (yes doing everything in one go whilst i'm thinking about it!)

Bugger, will have to wait 'till next payday now then!

[nonegreen]

The government has a mania for issuing stuff to teenagers. This is because up to this point they have been free of the tedium of administrivia that is born by us adults. They have to get in quick and bombard them with crap as early as possible or they may rebel and refuse to fill in forms in the future. If everyone refused to fill in forms then the whole government admistrivia machine would be redundant in weeks.

The best example of this was the NROVA. (The national record of vocational achievement) It was an idea implimented by a brainless prat who thought that all young people should be issued with a Plastic Pizza box with a unique number matched against the NI number. The intention was for people to keep their qualification certificates in them. Millions were spent, loads of boxes were thrown away and none were kept because they were mostly issued to YTS trainees and they either got no qualifications or they got NVQs which are worthless anyway and as soon as the kids realised this they threw them away.

The last truly great thing about this country is that despite our underfunded education system the teachers bless them, make sure even the most stupid child can see straight through the British government and what a load of tossers they are

[minornut]

Ah NVQs

Not Very Qualified

[TeamD]

minornut said:

Ah NVQs Not Very Qualified

Nah! Not a Valid Qualification!