Mr. Wm Rossasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) what would be the total amounts paid towards their national insurance pensions by: (a) a single man, (b) a single woman and (c) a married couple, where in each case the persons had been self-employed throughout their working lives and retired on 1st April 1976; and what would be the amount if the wife had ceased to work on marriage in 1946;
(2) what would be the total amounts paid towards their national insurance pensions by: (a) a single man, (b) a single woman and (c) a married couple, where in each case the persons had been in continuous employment throughout their working lives and retired on 1st 493W April 1976; and what would be the amount if the wife had ceased work on marriage in 1946.
§ Mr. OrmeA series of notional apportionments to determine that part of the NI contributions which can be deemed to meet the cost of pensions has been made in the past for the employed, and also for self-employed men; but the corresponding amounts for self-employed women cannot be derived now without a disproportionate amount of work. For the same reason, it has been assumed that earnings—related contributions have been paid at the maximum rate since they first started in 1961.
A self-employed man retiring at age 65 on 1st April 1976 would have contributed about £780 between first entry into insurance in July 1948 and retirement. An employed man would have contributed about £940 in the same period, and a single employed woman would have contributed about £925. In the case of the employed couple the total contribution would have been about £1,865 if both had been employed since July 1948 and the wife had not opted to pay contributions at the reduced rate. I, however, the wife had paid no contributions since July 1948, the amount paid by her husband would be the amounts quoted above in relation to men.