§ Mrs. Jegerasked the Secretary of State for Social Services why pensionless working widows over 60 are not entitled to make reduced national insurance contributions on the same basis as widows who are in receipt of pensions.
§ Mr. O'MalleyPensionless working widows have always been treated in the same way as men and single women for national insurance contribution purposes. At present, as a general rule, people who are not more than five years over minimum pension age—which is 60 for a woman, 65 for a man—and are still working have the same contribution liability as they had before that age. For married women and certain widow pensioners this is a reduced liability; for the rest it is full liability. From 1978, when the Social Security Pensions Act comes into force, no employees or self-employed persons will be liable to pay contributions beyond pension age.