Wrong Name on National Insurance Record

Moonwolf

My name is slightly wrong on my national insurance record, should I worry?

When I received my NI card at 16 it had my name spelt incorrectly, this isn't my name but say Ian John Smith instead of Iain John Smith as the kind of error. The name I use is the one on my birth certificate. My actual name is rare enough that there is probably non one else with the same name born on the same day (I'm aware of two other people with my name and google suggests around 8 people share it.)

I ignored it at 16 but then when I left Uni I thought I'd try and get it changed, I was told to write to the DHSS (as it was then) but nothing happened, then for years I didn't bother. Now as I am  thinking about my pension and looking at the name on the Government Gateway I worry a little that it might cause issues.

a) Might it cause issues with my pension
b) Might trying to get it changed cause issues.
c) How might I get it changed

All communications have always come to whatever my current address was and I have had the same national insurance number all my life, and the record looks clean, i.e no one else has used that number.

MallyGirl

I think it would be worth you getting this sorted for the future - credit applications, mortgages and the like might be picky on exact name matches

Notepad_Phil

I would definitely get it corrected just to ensure that absolutely nothing happens in the future.

Take a look at https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/hm-revenue-customs/contact/national-insurance-enquiries-for-employees-and-individuals for various contact details.

Personally I'd write to them at

PT Operations North East England
HM Revenue and Customs
BX9 1AN
United Kingdom

so that I had a written response.

MX5huggy

My dad used Iain instead of Ian (as on his birth certificate) his whole life, the only issue we had (not him he did not care) was getting a death certificate as Iain. 

MovingForwards

MX5huggy said:

My dad used Iain instead of Ian (as on his birth certificate) his whole life, the only issue we had (not him he did not care) was getting a death certificate as Iain. 

You could have got one as Ian surname also known as Iain surname.

LHW99

MX5huggy said:

My dad used Iain instead of Ian (as on his birth certificate) his whole life, the only issue we had (not him he did not care) was getting a death certificate as Iain. 

When we obtained a death certificate for FiL, we had to supply the name as on the birth certificate, and then "any other name he was known by". Which was useful, as he was always called by his middle name