[feilong]

Dear all,

I've recently come to the UK for work and I called to make an appointment to get my national insurance number.

Now, I don't know if they misheard my address but they gave me an appointment in the Camden jobcentre, which is 1h away from where I live and work (in the Hatfield region).

Is this normal? I heard from a friend that the Hatfield jobcentre does (or at least did) issue national insurance numbers... so my question is, should I try to pressure them into giving me an appointment closer by?

It feels sort of bad to already ask for time off from work in my 1st week and likely lose half a day just to take care of this number.

Thanks

 

[johannalouise]

Just speaking from my husbands experience.
He called up to make an appointment at the job centre to get his National Insurance number and also received an appointment at a job centre a hour away when there are several closer job centres.
He was told that only certain job centres could issue National Insurance numbers to foreign nationals.
I don't know if that's necessarily true, but it's what he was told when he made the appointment.

 

[Joppa]

That may be true, but sometimes it's possible to rebook your appointment at Jobcentre Plus closer to home for evidence-of-identity interview. Get in touch with Jobcentre.

 

[ALKB]

Dear all,

I've recently come to the UK for work and I called to make an appointment to get my national insurance number.

Now, I don't know if they misheard my address but they gave me an appointment in the Camden jobcentre, which is 1h away from where I live and work (in the Hatfield region).

Is this normal? I heard from a friend that the Hatfield jobcentre does (or at least did) issue national insurance numbers... so my question is, should I try to pressure them into giving me an appointment closer by?

It feels sort of bad to already ask for time off from work in my 1st week and likely lose half a day just to take care of this number.

Thanks

Did you ask for the next available appointment or the nearest appointment?

One hour is not really that long, they may have tried to spare you waiting for an appointment, at least that's what happened when I applied. I was offered to go next day, about an hour away from where I lived, or wait three weeks for an appointment that was much closer.

 

[feilong]

I just asked them for an appointment, and this is what they gave me... But perhaps I'll just keep trying every day to see if my luck changes

 

[Joppa]

Some offices have more appointment slots available than others, so it's worth persisting if you don't mind waiting.

 

[feilong]

Some offices have more appointment slots available than others, so it's worth persisting if you don't mind waiting.

The NINO is really stonewalling me... every time I call they are absolutely unhelpful and refuse to even check in the system if there's a slot available in the future for the jobcentre closer to me.

Do you think it's worth it to call the closest jobcentre directly and ask them? Do they actually have authority to book appointments themselves?