Hey guys I'm about to start a PhD in the UK. I have to set up a bank account and the bursary form also asks for my national insurance number. I know this can take up to a few months post interview to receive so I'm wondering what to do in the meantime. The actual agency says I can still get paid as long as the uni take my date of birth, gender ect but Im not sure how the uni feel about this. Anyone any experience?

The uni will be fine; 'It might take 16 weeks to get your permanent National Insurance Number but you can work and be paid while you are waiting.'

At my uni they wouldn't pay people until they gave them their NI, but they could do the work and get paid for it later.

Thanks guys hopefully they will be or else one or two of us won't be able to continue. I don't see how they'd expect people to go on for up to four months without pay. I was told it could take 5 weeks to 2 months.

ah, I was talking about doing work at the uni rather than the stipend. Students still got their stipend irrespective of whether they had an NI number.

I am an International student (non-EU) and I have done some work in the past as tutor/lab demonstrator. I don't have an NI number but the university has been paying for the work. I guess it all depends on the university and nationality of the PhD student.

I think I'd probably keep that to yourself...

Gah really annoyed. The uni don't want to pay out stipends until myself and other EU students are waiting to receive our national insurance number. This is really annoying as the national insurance office told me I should get paid as it's a stipend and tax free. The uni's finance dept are being really difficult about it and I'm actually thinking of taking up another PhD offer back home. I told my supervisor and he's trying to sort it.

good luck with that. if it helps, i got mine within a couple of weeks, but that was a few years ago, they can be fast sometimes... hope your supervisor can get it sorted...

if your offer isn't from oxbridge i probably would consider taking the home offer. the uk isn't the greatest country for doing a phd and i regret that i didn't take the other option in another country (i am at a russell group uni). reasons being supervision isn't always great, supervisors cannot be held accountable, or only with great difficulties, england is a *very* classridden society, nepotism is key and oh, you got problems getting a national insurance number, try getting a bank account...

PhD not in critical thinking then? :D

I got a bank account with no problems to be honest. The national security number isn't difficult to obtain either, just not a fast process. I want to do this project but I cannot do this project with zero cash.

See if there is a hardship fund at the uni to tide you over? Or see if the bank will give a credit card or overdraft? Or speak to your supervisors, they might be able to lend you money/take it out the grant and you can repay it?

Hey Tree of life thanks for the support and advice! It looks like it's going to be sorted and I will be paid while I'm waiting on my appointment for the number. Basically I'm part funded by a large American biotech who went nuts when they found out I wasn't being paid.