Hello - would be grateful if anyone could let me know if they have come across this:
I am working with a young woman, 18, living with her partner and their baby. She is a full-time student. She is unsure about the status of partner in UK (although he is here legally), doesn't have recourse to public funds (although she does). They have jointly applied for CTC but there are problems because he doesn't have a national insurance number.
I have spoken to the TC advisers line about this, and have been told that the DWP will contact him to arrange an appt to get a Nat ins no, but they could not tell me where to contact the DWP about this or give me any idea of how long it will take.
I had concerns about him getting a N.I due to his status. I phoned the nat ins helpline and was told that it is possible to be given a nat ins no. for the purpose of getting CTC. When I asked if the client can start this process himself, to speed it all up, I was told that he would have to wait to be contacted by the DWP (after they have received contact from CTC).
Has anybody got any ideas about how to deal with this? I know the money will eventually be backdated but that's no good to them right now!

I've had this problem with a couple of non-British clients who are claiming benefits for the first time. My experience is therefore limted, but the procedure seems to be, they claim the benefit or tax credit, then the office which took the claim informs their nearest DWP office that deals with suplying national insurance numbers. This office then arranges an appointment to do an identity questionnaire with them, and (assuming there's no doubt about their identity)then allocates a number.
But I wish you luck with the tax credit office. They took months to contact the local jobcentre for my client to get her N.I. No interview, and they haven't dealt with the formal complaint I sent them, 7 months ago!
There's a N.I. No helpline number, but I don't know it. You could try the DWP website.

The following is a link to a CPAG briefing on national insurance number problems which may be useful to you -

http://www.rightsnet.org.uk/cgi-bin/publisher/display.cgi?1113-4103-5973+swopshop