§ 49. Dame Irene Wardasked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance whether she will make arrangements for the insurance cards of university students to be franked so as to avoid a backlog of contributions having to be met by undergraduates entering civilian employment.
§ Mr. PentlandNo. Students are not required to pay contributions as non-employed persons for the period of their education. They are credited with contributions up to the age of 18. After that they may pay voluntarily. To credit them with contributions after they reach 18 would mean subsidising them at the expense of other contributors.
52. Mr. Brian Harrisonasked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance how much it would cost for the Exchequer to contribute the employees' portion of the National Insurance stamp for all those students receiving full-time education at school or tertiary establishments.
§ Mr. PentlandStudents receiving full-time education are not employed persons for the purpose of the National Insurance scheme. There is therefore no employees' contribution in respect of them. They are classified as non-employed persons and credited with contributions up to the age of 18, and above that age may pay voluntarily. Non-employed persons' National Insurance contributions in respect of all students over the age of 18 would amount to about £6½ million a year at present contribution rates and about £8 million at the rates coming into force at the end of March.