HC Deb 20 February 1995 vol 255 cc74-5W
Mrs. Maddock

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many households have received income support for mortgage interest; and what was the average amount of benefit received in each year since 1979.

Mr. Roger Evans

The available information is set out in the table.

Letter from George Bertram to Mr. Frank Field, dated 17 February 1995: As Acting Chief Executive of the Contributions Agency, I have responsibility for all operational aspects of the National Insurance scheme. I have been asked to reply to your question to the Secretary of State for Social Security regarding the number of workers who have failed to pay full National Insurance contributions (NICs). I am afraid that our management information systems do not provide the information you have asked for in your question. I can however tell you that contributors who have not paid (or been credited with) sufficient contributions to provide a qualifying year for benefit purposes are notified through the issue of a deficiency notice about 18 months after the end of the tax year. About 3.5 million deficiency notices are issued annually. Deficiency notices provide contributors with the opportunity to confirm that the correct amount of contributions have been recorded on their NI accounts and, where appropriate provide for queries to be made or make up contributions paid. There are various reasons for deficient records, the most common being where earnings are below the appropriate threshold, persons may be employed for only part of the year or contributors may have spent time outside the UK. The 3.5 million do not include those married women who elected to pay reduced rate contributions. Because they have made such an election they are not entitled to pay make up contributions which make the deficient year count. Separate arrangements exist whereby self-employed contributors are advised of liability for unpaid weeks through the Quarterly Billing payment system. I regret that I am unable to give you the precise information that you requested but I hope that this reply will prove helpful.