§ Mr. Sutcliffeasked the Minister of Health what amount is paid in contributions under the voluntary pensions scheme by a woman entering the scheme on her twenty-fifth birthday, assuming that she was a regular contributor until she qualified for an old age pension; what amount is paid by a woman entering the scheme on her twenty-ninth birthday; and what advantage there is to a woman entering this voluntary scheme at 25, rather than at 29 years of age?
§ Mr. ElliotA woman who entered the special voluntary contributors pensions scheme on her twenty-ninth birthday would pay contributions at the rate of 7d. a week, and if she maintained an average of 50 contributions a year up to age 65 she would pay a total of £52 10s. If she entered just after her twenty-fifth birthday, paying at the rate of yd. a week, she would pay a total of £58 6s. 8d.; but if she entered just before her twenty-fifth birthday the rate of contribution would be only 6d. a week and she would pay a total of £50 up to age 65.
A woman who enters the scheme at age 25 has the advantage over one entering at age 29 that, should she at any time after five years' continuous insurance find it impossible to maintain her contribution payments, the modified pension to which she would become entitled on the attainment of age 65 would take account of the longer period during which she had made such contribution payments.