Further bureaucracy reduction: national insurance number is being scrapped

The National Insurance (NI) number will no longer be used and has been replaced by the ID number even for employment and pensions purposes, under a new simplification process announced on Wednesday by Michael Farrugia, minister for social solidarity.

Farrugia said that, as of the beginning of this month, the ID numbers of all Maltese nationals over 16 years of age have been added to the social security system and have replaced the NI number which is now completely superfluous.

"Under this new system, 16-year-olds no longer need to apply for an NI number, even when seeking employment for the first time," he said.

"The ID number is automatically added to the social security system when a person turns 16."

The ID number alone will be used for employment, pensions and inland revenue reference, doing away with a system that saw both the ID number and the NI number required for processing many tasks.

The new system applies for Maltese nationals with an ID number ending in M, G, L or H.

In the case of foreigners working in Malta, the existing system will continue to apply, the minister said.

"If they obtain Maltese nationality, they too would then switch to their new ID number for social security purposes."

The process, he said, had been discussed with Jobsplus, employers and the inland revenue department within the Malta Council for Economic and Social Development, and the ministry had been reassured there would be no issues with removing the NI number.