How we use cookies

Part of: Cookies

The nidirect site and some of the tools and services it links to use a number of cookies. These cookies are listed below with more details about why we use them and how long they will last.

Measuring website usage

We use Google Analytics to collect information about how people use nidirect. We do this to make sure it’s meeting people's needs and to understand how we could meet those needs better.

Google Analytics stores information about what pages you visit, how long you are on the site, how you got here and what you click on. We do not collect or store your personal details such as your name or address. We cannot identify who you are.

We do not allow Google to use or share any information we collect with other third parties.

Google Analytics

Name of cookie Typical content Expires
__utma randomly generated number 2 years
__utmb randomly generated number 30 minutes
__utmc randomly generated number when you close your browser
__utmx randomly generated number 18 months
__utmxx randomly generated number 18 months
__utmz randomly generated number and information on how the site was reached (e.g. direct or via a link, organic search or paid search) 6 months

If you don't want Google Analytics to use information about you for the purposes of measuring website usage you can opt out:

Service availability

nidirect uses cookies that help improve service availability and security across many Northern Ireland government websites.

Name of cookie Typical content Expires
ANONID randomly generated number when you close your browser
NIGOV randomly generated number when you close your browser
NIGOV_.nidirect.gov.uk
_%2F_wat		 randomly generated number when you close your browser

Remembering your settings

nidirect uses cookies to remember if you have received the cookie warning message so that this message doesn't appear more than once. For mobile users nidirect sets a cookie to remember your preference for viewing either the mobile or desktop version of the site.

Name of cookie Typical content Expires
nid_cookie_support true when you close your browser
nid_cookie_warning_received true 2 years
nid-smartphone 1 or 0 30 days

Minimising spam

nidirect uses cookies on various feedback and registration forms to help minimise the amount of email spam we receive.

Name of cookie Typical content Expires
nidirect-feedback 1,2,3,4 or 5 when you close your browser
ecar-registration 1 when you close your browser
travelwise-wts-form 1,2 when you close your browser

Northern Ireland government applications that we link to

nidirect provides links to tools and services offered by websites owned by Northern Ireland government and other public sector organisations.

Cookies for maintaining your session

Many of these tools and services that nidirect links to require cookies to provide a joined-up session.  These type of cookies may help you complete online forms without having to re-enter information already provided.

Name of cookie Typical content Expires
ASP.NET_SessionId randomly generated number when you close your browser
ASPSESSIONIDxxxxxxxx randomly generated number when you close your browser
BGSESSIONID randomly generated number when you close your browser
PHPSESSID randomly generated number when you close your browser
JSESSIONID randomly generated number when you close your browser

Book your theory test

The Book your theory test application is a service provided by the Driver and Vehicle Licence Agency Northern Ireland. This application uses cookies to measure usage and to maintain your session so that you do not have to re-enter information already provided.

Name of cookie Typical content Expires
JSESSIONID randomly generated number when you close your browser
wt_id randomly generated number 1 year
WT_FPC randomly generated number 10 years
ACOOKIE randomly generated number 2 years

Calculate your redundancy payout

Calculate your redundancy payout is an application provided by nibusinessinfo. This application uses cookies to enable you to complete the task without re-entering information already provided and to help nibusinessinfo to measure use of the service.

Name of cookie Typical content Expires
BGSESSIONID randomly generated number when you close your browser
s_cc True or false when you close your browser
s_sq %5B%5BB%5D%5D when you close your browser
s_vi random unique ID 5 years

Buy Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland maps

The Buy Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland maps is a service provided by Land and Property Services. This application uses cookies to determine if the browser can accept session and persistent cookies, maintain session, remember if you have already logged-in and provide checkout functionality.

Name of cookie Typical content Expires
Commerce_TestPersistentCookie TestCookie 1 day
Commerce_TestSessionCookie TestCookie when you close your browser
ASP.NET_SessionId randomly generated number when you close your browser
CS_userID randomly generated number when you close your browser
PCOOKIE randomly generated number 24 hours or when you log out
name randomly generated number when you close your browser

Traffic updates

The Traffic updates service is provided by TrafficwatchNI within DFI Roads. This application uses cookies to measure use of the service, maintain your session and remember your preferences and selections.

Name of cookie Typical content Expires
ASPSESSIONIDQCBDASQS randomly generated number when you close your browser
usercams 1,3,4 1 year
lastscrollerpos 454px when you close your browser
__utma randomly generated number 2 years
__utmb randomly generated number 30 minutes
__utmc randomly generated number when you close your browser
__utmz randomly generated number 6 months

Benefits Adviser

The nidirect Benefits Adviser is an application provided by the Department for Work and Pensions to check which benefits you may be entitled to. This application uses cookies to measure use of the service, help site navigation, user authentication and service availability.

Name of cookie Typical content Expires
COOKIEAC randomly generated number when you close your browser
ORA_WX_SESSION randomly generated number when you close your browser
portal randomly generated number including your country of origin and language preferences when you close your browser
ObSSOCookie randomly generated number when you close your browser
WT_FPC randomly generated number including your public IP address 10 years

'Third-party' cookies

Third-party cookies are cookies created by a website other than the one you are currently visiting.  nidirect currently embeds services from third party websites to provide extra functionality.

Google Maps

nidirect uses Google Maps to provide visual geo-location information on various government organisations and services.

For more information please visit Google's Privacy Policy.

YouTube

nidirect embeds videos from our official YouTube channel using YouTube’s privacy-enhanced mode. This mode may set the following cookies on your computer once you click on the YouTube video player, but YouTube will not store personally-identifiable cookie information for playbacks of embedded videos using the privacy-enhanced mode.

For more information please visit YouTube’s embedding videos information page.

Facebook

nidirect uses the Facebook 'Like' plugin on various pages to share nidirect content with other Facebook users.

For more information please visit Facebook's page on Cookies, Pixels & Similar Technologies.

Twitter

nidirect uses the Twitter 'Tweet' plugin on various pages to share nidirect content with other Twitter users.

For more information please visit Twitter's Privacy Policy.

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Your feedback

We will not reply to your feedback.  Don't include any personal or financial information, for example National Insurance, credit card numbers, or phone numbers.

This feedback form is for issues with the nidirect website only.

You can use it to report a problem or suggest an improvement to a webpage.

If you have a question about a government service or policy, you should contact the relevant government organisation directly as we don’t have access to information about you held by government departments.

You must be aged 13 years or older - if you’re younger, ask someone with parental responsibility to send the feedback for you.

The nidirect privacy notice applies to any information you send on this feedback form.

Don't include any personal or financial information, for example National Insurance, credit card numbers, or phone numbers.

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What to do next

Comments or queries about angling can be emailed to anglingcorrespondence@daera-ni.gov.uk 

What to do next

If you have a comment or query about benefits, you will need to contact the government department or agency which handles that benefit.  Contacts for common benefits are listed below.

Carer's Allowance

Call 0800 587 0912
Email dcs.incomingpostteamdhc2@nissa.gsi.gov.uk

Discretionary support / Short-term benefit advance

Call 0800 587 2750 
Email customerservice.unit@communities-ni.gov.uk

Disability Living Allowance

Call 0800 587 0912 
Email dcs.incomingpostteamdhc2@nissa.gsi.gov.uk

Employment and Support Allowance

Call 0800 587 1377

Jobseeker’s Allowance

Contact your local Jobs & Benefits office

Personal Independence Payment

Call 0800 587 0932

If your query is about another benefit, select ‘Other’ from the drop-down menu above.

What to do next

Comments or queries about the Blue Badge scheme can be emailed to bluebadges@infrastructure-ni.gov.uk or you can also call 0300 200 7818.

What to do next

For queries or advice about careers, contact the Careers Service.

What to do next

For queries or advice about Child Maintenance, contact the Child Maintenance Service.

What to do next

For queries or advice about claiming compensation due to a road problem, contact DFI Roads claim unit.

What to do next

For queries or advice about criminal record checks, email ani@accessni.gov.uk

What to do next

Application and payment queries can be emailed to ema_ni@slc.co.uk

What to do next

For queries or advice about employment rights, contact the Labour Relations Agency.

What to do next

For queries or advice about birth, death, marriage and civil partnership certificates and research, contact the General Register Office Northern Ireland (GRONI) by email gro_nisra@finance-ni.gov.uk

What to do next

For queries about:

If your query is about another topic, select ‘Other’ from the drop-down menu above.

What to do next

For queries or advice about passports, contact HM Passport Office.

What to do next

For queries or advice about Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs), including parking tickets and bus lane PCNs, email dcu@infrastructure-ni.gov.uk

What to do next

For queries or advice about pensions, contact the Northern Ireland Pension Centre.

What to do next

If you wish to report a problem with a road or street you can do so online in this section.

If you wish to check on a problem or fault you have already reported, contact DfI Roads.

What to do next

For queries or advice about historical, social or cultural records relating to Northern Ireland, use the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI) enquiry service.

What to do next

For queries or advice about rates, email LPSCustomerTeam@lpsni.gov.uk

What to do next

For queries or advice about  60+ and Senior Citizen SmartPasses (which can be used to get concessionary travel on public transport), contact Smartpass - Translink.