What are National Insurance Contributions (NIC) and how do they affect me?
• You can read about NIC for employed people here and there is a straightforward introduction here. In the UK, the State retirement age is currently 65 for men and 60 for women. How do I get an NI number • You can read how to obtain an NI number on the Directgov website Do I have to pay NIC? • If you are working in the UK and your earnings exceed the lower limit, you will need to pay NIC on your income unless, exceptionally, you are covered under a social security scheme in another European Union (EU) country or a country with which the UK has a social security agreement. Coming from EU, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein or Switzerland • If you have come to the UK from another EU country or from Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein or Switzerland, you may not have to pay NIC but, instead, you could continue to pay social security in the country where you were formerly employed, provided that: • your UK employer hired you there; • you were then sent to the UK to do your present job working for t
