HC Deb 18 May 1973 vol 856 cc406-7W
Mr. Dell

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether, under the Social Security Bill, in cases in which members of the Reserve Pension Scheme defer their pension beyond pensionable age, there will be an option to continue paying contributions up to actual retirement or for five years, whichever is the less.

Mr. Dean

No. I regret that when the Social Security Bill was being considered on Report I mistakenly said at one point that reserve scheme contributions would continue to be paid after pensionable age where a person goes on working. Under the Bill, such contributions will cease in all cases at the beginning of the income tax year in which the employee attains pensionable age. It would cause substantial complications for the contributions to go on beyond that, on either an optional or compulsory basis, since that is the point at which recognised pensionable employment ceases and it is fundamental to the arrangements that reserve scheme contributions should be payable only as an alternative to such employment.—[Vol. 856, c. 690.]