Social Security Act 1975

8 (1) Sub-paragraph (3) below shall apply where a claim is made for any short-term benefit and the last complete year before the beginning of the benefit year in which the relevant time falls was either—

(a) the year in which the contributor concerned first became liable for primary Class 1 or Class 2 contributions ; or

(b) the year preceding that in which he first became so liable.

(2) The relevant time for the purposes of this paragraph—

(a) in relation to any short-term benefit other than widow's allowance, is the same as it is for the purposes of the contribution conditions for the benefit; and

(b) in relation to widow's allowance, is the date on which the contributor concerned attained pensionable age or died under that age.

(3) For the purposes of satisfaction by the contributor concerned of the first contribution condition for unemployment benefit, sickness benefit, a maternity grant or a maternity allowance, or of the contribution condition for a widow's allowance, all contributions of a relevant class actually paid by him in any period ending with the relevant time may be aggregated and treated as paid in the last complete year before the beginning of the benefit year in which the relevant time falls (earnings factors from the aggregated contributions being derived accordingly for that year).