Information request and response under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002
FOI Reference: FOI/202500463966
Date received: 29 April 2025
Date responded: 29 May 2025
Information requested
Request for Information 1: For what reason(s) would a benefit payment be made by Social Security Scotland if a claimant does not provide a National Insurance (NI) number?
Request for Information 2: What processes or procedures are in place to verify the identity of a claimant if a National Insurance number is not provided?
Request for Information 3: How many benefit payments were made where a National Insurance number was not provided, broken down by financial year (2020/21 through 2024/25 inclusive) and by type of benefit?
Request for Information 4: What was the total value of benefit payments made without a National Insurance number being provided, broken down by financial year (2020/21 through 2024/25 inclusive) and by type of benefit?
Response
Request for Information 1:
Best Start Foods is the only benefit that does not require a National Insurance number. Payments can be made after a successful application.
Best Start Foods can be paid to families with children under 3 who cannot access public funds. The scheme does not include the Best Start Grant or Scottish Child Payment. For more information on eligibility please go to Best Start Grant and Best Start Foods - mygov.scot.
Request for Information 2:
If a client does not provide a National Insurance number we request one of the following documents to verify their identity:
If they cannot provide any proof of identity or address, we contact the Department for Work and Pensions to check if they have a National Insurance number for the client.
Request for Information 3 & 4:
While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance Social Security Scotland does not have some of the information you have requested. This is because we do not hold this information for the period prior to 2024/25.
This is a formal notice under section 17(1) of FOISA that Social Security Scotland does not have some of the information you have requested.
Listed below are the number and value of the Best Start Foods payments made in 2024/25 to clients without a National Insurance number.
These figures are based on management information and they have not been quality assured to the same standard as Official Statistics.
About FOI
Social Security Scotland is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. The Scottish Government also publishes responses to requests. You can view the responses at http://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.