The Social Security (Contributions) Regulations 2001

Case D— U.K. Married Women and Widows

Interpretation U.K.

126.—(1) In this Case, unless the context otherwise requires—

• “personal death benefit” means any death benefit which, apart from any regulations made under section 73 of the Administration Act (overlapping benefits—general) F1 , is payable to a person otherwise than in respect of another person who is a child or an adult dependant;

• “Personal Injuries Scheme” means any scheme made under the Personal Injuries (Emergency Provisions) Act 1939 F2 or under the Pensions (Navy, Army, Air Force and Mercantile Marine) Act 1939 F3 ;

• “qualifying widow” has the meaning assigned to it in regulation 127(1);

• “reduced rate” means the rate specified in regulation 131;

• “regulation 91 of the 1975 Regulations” and “regulation 94 of the 1975 Regulations” mean respectively regulation 91 and regulation 94 of the Social Security (Contributions) Regulations 1975 F4 before section 3(1) of the Social Security Pensions Act 1975 F5 (married women and widows) came into force and sections 5(3) and 130(2) of the Social Security Act 1975 F6 (Class 1 reduced rate and married women and widows) were repealed;

• “Service Pensions Instrument” means those provisions and only those provisions of any Royal Warrant, Order in Council or other instrument (not being a 1914–1918 War Injuries Scheme) under which a death or disablement pension (not including a pension calculated by reference to length of service) and allowances for dependants payable with either such pension may be paid out of public funds in respect of any death or disablement, wound, injury or disease due to service in the naval, military or air forces of the Crown or in any nursing service or other auxiliary service of any of those forces or in the Home Guard or in any other organisation established under the control of the Defence Council or formerly established under the control of the Admiralty, the Army Council or the Air Council;

• “1914–1918 War Injuries Scheme” means any scheme made under the Injuries in War (Compensation) Act 1914 F7 or under the Injuries in War Compensation Act 1914 (Session 2) F8 or under any Government scheme for compensation in respect of persons injured in any merchant ship or fishing vessel as a result of hostilities during the 1914–1918 War.

(2) Where by any provision of this Case notice is required to be or may be given in writing it shall be given on a form approved by the Board or in such other manner, being in writing, as they may accept as sufficient in any case.

Textual Amendments

F1 Section 73 was amended by paragraph 49 of Schedule 2 to the Jobseekers Act 1995 (c. 18).

F2 1939 c. 82.

F3 1939 c. 83.

F4 S.I. 1975/492.

F5 1975 c. 60.

F6 1975 c. 14.

F7 1914 c. 30.

F8 5 & 6 Geo. 5 c. 18.

Elections by married women and widows U.K.

127.—(1) A woman who on 6th April 1977 (the date on which section 3(1) of the [F9 Social Security Pensions Act 1975] (married women and widows) came into force) was married or was a widow who satisfied the conditions prescribed in paragraph (8) (“a qualifying widow”) may—

(a) elect that her liability in respect of primary Class 1 contributions shall be a liability to contribute at the reduced rate; and

(b) elect that she shall be under no liability to pay Class 2 contributions.

(2) Any election made for the purpose of paragraph (1)(a) shall be treated as also made for the purpose of paragraph (1)(b) and any election made for the purpose of paragraph (1)(b) shall be treated as also made for the purpose of paragraph (1)(a) and any revocation of an election for the one purpose shall be treated also as a revocation of an election for the other purpose.

[F10 (3) Where a woman has made an election to which this regulation applies—

(a) any primary Class 1 contributions which are—

(i) attributable to section 8(1)(a) of the Act, and

(ii) payable in respect of earnings paid to her or for her benefit in the period during which the election has effect under the following provisions of this Case,

shall be payable at the reduced rate; and

(b) she shall be under no liability to pay any Class 2 contribution[F11 , nor shall she be entitled to pay any such contribution,] for any contribution week in that period.]

(4) Subject to regulation 134, no woman shall be entitled to make an election specified in paragraph (1) after 11th May 1977.

(5) Every election shall be made by notice in writing to the Board and by notice in writing to the Board may be revoked by the woman who made the election.

(6) Any revocation may be cancelled by notice in writing to the Board before the date upon which the notice of revocation is to have effect, and upon cancellation the revocation shall cease to have effect.

(7) Every woman who makes an election under this regulation shall furnish such certificates, documents, information and other evidence for the purpose of enabling the Board to consider the validity of the election as the Board may require.

(8) The conditions referred to in paragraph (1) are that the widow—

(a) was entitled to—

(i) widow’s benefit under the Social Security Act 1975,

(ii) any personal death benefit which was payable to her as a widow under the provisions of Chapter IV of Part II of that Act at a weekly rate which was not less than the basic pension specified for the time being in section 6(1)(a) of the Social Security Pensions Act 1975 (rate of Category A retirement pension),

(iii) any personal death benefit by way of pension or allowance payable to her as a widow under any Personal Injuries Scheme or Service Pensions Instrument or any 1914–1918 War Injuries Scheme (not being a pension or allowance calculated by reference to the needs of the beneficiary), the rate of which is as set out in head (ii) above, or

(iv) benefit under section 39(4) of the Social Security Act 1975 (retirement benefits for the aged), other than a Category C retirement pension; and

(b) was not disentitled to payment of any such benefit by reason of her living with a man, to whom she was not married, as his wife.

Textual Amendments

F9 Words in reg. 127(1) substituted (6.4.2003) by The Social Security (Contributions) (Amendment No. 2) Regulations 2003 (S.I. 2003/964), regs. 1, 5(a)

F10 Reg. 127(3) substituted (6.4.2003) by The Social Security (Contributions) (Amendment No. 2) Regulations 2003 (S.I. 2003/964), regs. 1, 5(b)

F11 Words in reg. 127(3)(b) inserted (with effect in accordance with Sch. 1 para. 35 of the amending Act) by National Insurance Contributions Act 2015 (c. 5), Sch. 1 para. 34(1) (with Sch. 1 para. 34(2))

Duration of effect of election U.K.

128.—(1) Subject to paragraph (2), any election made under regulation 127 shall have effect from and including 6th April 1977 (the date on which section 3(1) of the Social Security Pensions Act 1975 (married women and widows) came into force) until whichever of the following events first occurs after the date of the election, namely—

(a) the date on which the woman ceases to be married otherwise than by reason of the death of her husband;

(b) the end of the year in which she ceases to be a qualifying widow;

(c) the end of any two consecutive years which begin on or after 6th April 1978 and in which the woman who made the election has no earnings in respect of which any primary Class 1 contributions are payable in those years and in which that woman is not at any time a self-employed earner;

(d) in the case of a revocation which has not been cancelled in accordance with regulation 127(6), the end of the week in which the notice of revocation is given or, if the woman so wishes, the end of any subsequent week in the same year specified in the notice;

(e) where in any year after 5th April 1982 a payment (“an erroneous payment”) is made by or on behalf of a woman on account of primary Class 1 contributions at the contracted-out rate and the woman wishes to pay contributions at the [F12 main primary percentage] from the beginning of the year next following that year, the end of the year in respect of which the erroneous payment is made; or

(f) where—

(i) in any year after 5th April 1982 a payment is made by or on behalf of a woman on account of primary Class 1 contributions at the non-contracted-out rate, (“an erroneous payment”), or more than one such payment is made,

(ii) from the time of making that payment or, if there is more than one such payment, the first, to the time at which she notifies the Board in accordance with head (v), no contributions have been paid by her or on her behalf at the reduced rate and no contributions have been payable by her or on her behalf in respect of any contracted-out employment.

(iii) she has not procured a refund in respect of any erroneous payment,

(iv) she wishes to pay contributions at the [F13 main primary percentage] from the date on which the only or first erroneous payment was made, and

(v) after 5th April 1983 and on or before the 31st December in the next complete calendar year following the end of the year in which any erroneous payment was made, she notifies the Board of her wish to pay contributions at the [F14 main primary percentage] in accordance with head (iv),

the date on which the only or first erroneous payment was made.

(2) Where a woman, to whom paragraph (1)(b) applies, remarries or again becomes a qualifying widow before the end of the year in which she ceases to be a qualifying widow, that woman’s election shall, notwithstanding that sub-paragraph, but without prejudice to the application of paragraph (1)(c), (d), (e) or (f), continue to have effect from the end of that year.

Textual Amendments

F12 Words in reg. 128(1)(e) substituted (6.4.2003) by The Social Security (Contributions) (Amendment No. 2) Regulations 2003 (S.I. 2003/964), regs. 1, 9(1)(2)(a)

F13 Words in reg. 128(1)(f)(iv) substituted (6.4.2003) by The Social Security (Contributions) (Amendment No. 2) Regulations 2003 (S.I. 2003/964), regs. 1, 9(1)(2)(a)

F14 Words in reg. 128(1)(f)(v) substituted (6.4.2003) by The Social Security (Contributions) (Amendment No. 2) Regulations 2003 (S.I. 2003/964), regs. 1, 9(1)(2)(a)

Continuation of elections under regulation 91 of the 1975 Regulations U.K.

129.  Where, but for regulation 91 of the 1975 Regulations ceasing to have effect on 6th April 1977 (the date on which section 130(2) of the Social Security Act 1975 was repealed) an election made under that regulation before that date would have continued to have effect on that date, that election shall be treated as made under regulation 127 and this Case shall apply accordingly.

Continuation of elections on widowhood U.K.

130.—(1) If on 6th April 1977 (the date on which section 3(1) of the Social Security Pensions Act 1975 came into force) a woman—

(a) was married and subsequently becomes a widow; or

(b) was a widow and subsequently remarries and again becomes a widow,

paragraph (2) applies to her.

(2) Where this paragraph applies to a woman any election—

(a) which she had made under regulation 127 before the death of the husband which renders a widow; or

(b) which she is, by virtue of regulation 129, treated as having made under regulation 127 before that death;

and which is still effective at the time of the husband’s death, shall, subject to paragraphs (4) and (5) and notwithstanding regulation 128, continue to have effect until the end of the appropriate period.

(3) For the purposes of this regulation the end of the appropriate period is—

(a) the earliest of—

(i) the end of the second year specified in regulation 128(1)(c),

(ii) the end of the period specified in regulation 128(1)(d) or (e), or

(iii) the date specified in regulation 128(1)(f); or

(b) subject to sub-paragraph (a) and paragraphs (4) and (5)—

(i) where the husband’s death occurs before 1st October in any year, the end of that year,

(ii) where the husband’s death occurs after 30th September in any year, the end of the year next following that in which the death occurs.

(4) Subject to regulation 128(1)(c), (d), (e) and (f) and to paragraph (5), if at the end of the year specified in head (i) or head (ii) of paragraph (3)(b) there is pending a claim or application made by or on behalf of the woman as a widow within 182 days (including Sundays) of her husband’s death for any benefit specified in head (i) or (iv) or, irrespective of its rate, in head (ii) or (iii) of regulation 127(8)(a), the end of the appropriate period shall be the end of the year in which the claim or application is determined.

(5) If at the end of the year specified in head (i) or (ii) of paragraph (3)(b) or, as the case may be, in paragraph (4) the woman is a qualifying widow or married, the election shall continue to have effect, unless she is then a person to whom regulation 128(1)(c), (d), (e) or (f) applies.

[F15 Reduced rate of primary Class 1 contributions otherwise payable at the main primary percentage U.K.

131.   On and after [F16 6th April 2011], the reduced rate of contribution for the purposes of section 19(4) of the Act (power to regulate liability in respect of certain married women and widows) in respect of so much of a married woman’s liability for primary Class 1 contributions as is attributable to section 8(1)(a) of the Act shall be [F17 5.85] per cent.]

Textual Amendments

F15 Reg. 131 substituted (6.4.2003) by The Social Security (Contributions) (Amendment No. 2) Regulations 2003 (S.I. 2003/964), regs. 1, 6

F16 Words in reg. 131 substituted (6.4.2011) by The Social Security (Contributions) (Amendment No. 2) Regulations 2011 (S.I. 2011/940), regs. 1(2), 5(a)

F17 Word in reg. 131 substituted (6.4.2011) by The Social Security (Contributions) (Amendment No. 2) Regulations 2011 (S.I. 2011/940), regs. 1(2), 5(b)

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C1 Reg. 131 modified (in relation to payments of earnings made before 6 November in the tax year 2022-23) by The Social Security (Contributions) (Amendment No. 2) Regulations 2022 (S.I. 2022/416), regs. 1, 2 (as amended by 2022 c. 43, Sch. para. 4)

C2 Reg. 131 modified (in relation to specified assessment for the tax year 2022-23) by Health and Social Care Levy (Repeal) Act 2022 (c. 43), Sch. para. 5(1)(2)(5)

Class 3 contributions U.K.

132.  A woman who has made, or is under the regulations 126 to 131 treated as having made, an election under regulation 127 shall be precluded from paying Class 3 contributions for any year in respect of the whole of which that election has effect.

Certificates of election U.K.

133.—(1) As represents any election made, or by virtue of regulation 129 as treated as made, under regulation 127—

(a) where a woman makes an election under regulation 127, the Board shall issue without charge, a certificate of election (“a certificate”) to her;

(b) where a woman is treated as making such an election, the Board shall, on application without charge, issue a certificate to her; and

(c) the certificate shall remain the property of the Board.

(2) A woman to whom a certificate has been issued shall be responsible for its custody unless and until it is delivered to a secondary contributor or returned to the Board.

(3) A woman in respect of whom an election has effect in accordance with regulations 126 to 132 shall, if any primary Class 1 contribution is payable by her or on her behalf, immediately deliver to the secondary contributor a certificate which is currently in force in respect of her and upon the delivery of the certificate, the secondary contributor shall become responsible for its custody unless and until it is delivered again to the woman or to the Board.

(4) Where a certificate has ceased to be in force, the woman in respect of whom the certificate was issued shall immediately return it to the Board and for that purpose, if at the time when the certificate ceases to be in force it is in the custody of a secondary contributor, that contributor shall immediately return it to the woman.

(5) The Board may at any time require the person for the time being responsible for the custody of a certificate to return it to the Board, and if at that time the election to which that certificate relates continues to have effect, the Board shall issue to that person a replacement certificate.

(6) Where a woman in respect of whom an election has effect has more than one employed earner’s employment the Board shall issue to her without charge, on her application, such number of certificates as will enable her to comply with the requirements of paragraph (3) in relation to each secondary contributor.

(7) Where a certificate has been lost or destroyed the person responsible for its custody shall inform the Board of that loss or destruction.

(8) When a woman gives notice in writing to the Board that she revokes an election she shall—

(a) if the certificate is with a secondary contributor, recover it from him; and

(b) deliver the certificate to the Board.

(9) Where a secondary contributor holds a certificate and—

(a) is informed by the woman to whom it was issued that she intends to revoke her election and is requested to return the certificate to her so that she may return it to the Board; or

(b) the employment by him of the woman to whom the certificate was issued has terminated,

he shall immediately return the certificate to her.

(10) Where under the foregoing provisions of this Case an election has been made by a woman [F18 to pay at the reduced rate in respect of so much of her liability for primary Class 1 contributions as is attributable to section 8(1)(a) of the Act ] and that election ceases to have effect, it shall be the duty of that woman to inform the secondary contributor accordingly.

(11) Any certificate issued for the purpose of an election made or deemed to have been made under the regulation 91 of the 1975 Regulations shall, if by virtue of regulation 124 the election is treated as made under regulation 127, continue in force for the purposes of that regulation.

Textual Amendments

F18 Reg. 133(10) substituted (6.4.2003) by The Social Security (Contributions) (Amendment No. 2) Regulations 2003 (S.I. 2003/964), regs. 1, 7

Special transitional provisions consequent upon passing of the Social Security Pensions Act 1975 U.K.

134.—(1) Any woman to whom this regulation applies—

(a) shall, in respect of [F19 so much of her liability for primary Class 1 contributions as is attributable to section 8(1)(a) of the Act], be liable to pay [F20 those contributions] at the reduced rate; and

(b) shall not be liable to pay any Class 2 contribution which, apart from the provisions of this paragraph, she would be liable to pay.

(2) Subject to paragraphs (3) to (7), this regulation applies to any woman—

(a) to whom, before 6th April 1977 (the date on which section 3(1) of the Social Security Pensions Act 1975 came into force and sections 5(3) and 130(2) of the Social Security Act 1975 were repealed), the provisions of section 5(3) of the Social Security Act 1975 or of regulation 94 of the 1975 Regulations (newly widowed woman) applied and to whom those provisions would have continued to apply but for those provisions having been repealed or, as the case may be, having ceased to have effect on that date;

(b) who, not being a person to whom regulation 130 applies—

(i) on 6th April 1977 was a married woman and became a widow during the period from and including that date to 6th April 1978, or

(ii) on 6th April 1977 was a qualifying widow, remarried after that date and again became a widow during that period; or

(c) who on 6th April 1977 was married or a qualifying widow and had attained the age of 59.

(3) In the case of a woman specified in paragraph (2)(a) or (b), the provisions of paragraph (1) shall, subject to the provisions of paragraphs (4) and (5), apply only during the period which—

(a) in the case of a woman specified in paragraph (2)(a)—

(i) began at the beginning of the year in which section 3(1) came into force; and

(ii) ended at the end of that year;

(b) in the case of a woman specified in paragraph (2)(b)—

(i) began on the date on which that woman became or, as the case may be, again became a widow, and

(ii) ends at the end of whichever of the two periods specified in regulation 130(2)(b) is appropriate in her case in so far as that regulation relates to the date of the death of the husband.

(4) In the case of a woman to whom paragraph (3)(a) or (b) applies, those sub-paragraphs shall be subject to regulation 130(4) and paragraph (5) below with the modification that—

(a) in regulation 130(4), the reference to sub-paragraphs (d) and (e) of regulation 128(1) shall be omitted;

(b) in so far as the provisions of regulation 128(1)(c) are incorporated in regulation 130(4) as modified for the purposes of this regulation, references in regulation 128(1)(c) to any election made under regulation 127 and to a woman who made the election shall respectively be construed as references to the application of paragraph (1) and to the woman to whom that paragraph applies.

(5) Any woman—

(a) who by virtue of paragraph (1)—

(i) was, in respect of [F21 so much of her liability for primary Class 1 contributions as is attributable to section 8(1)(a) of the Act], liable to pay that contribution at the reduced rate, or

(ii) was not liable to pay any Class 2 contribution which apart from the provisions of that paragraph she would have been liable to pay; but

(b) to whom by virtue of paragraphs (2) to (4), paragraph (1) ceases so to apply; and

(c) who has not, in relation to the application of paragraph (1), given the notice prescribed in paragraph (7),

may, subject to the conditions prescribed in paragraph (6), make an election under and in accordance with regulation 127, notwithstanding that she has not done so before the date prescribed in that regulation, and regulations 126 to 133 shall apply accordingly from the end of the year in which paragraph (1) ceases to apply to her.

(6) The conditions referred to in paragraph (5) are that the woman—

(a) shall make the election not later than 11th May next following the end of the year in which paragraph (1) ceases to apply to her; and

(b) is, at the beginning of the year next following the year in which paragraph (1) so ceases to apply, married or a qualifying widow.

(7) Any woman to whom, by virtue of paragraph (2)(a) or (b), paragraph (1) applies may give notice in writing to the Board that she does not wish paragraph (1) to apply to her and upon the giving of such notice it shall accordingly cease to apply.

Textual Amendments

F19 Words in reg. 134(1)(a) substituted (6.4.2003) by The Social Security (Contributions) (Amendment No. 2) Regulations 2003 (S.I. 2003/964), regs. 1, 8(2)(a)

F20 Words in reg. 134(1)(a) substituted (6.4.2003) by The Social Security (Contributions) (Amendment No. 2) Regulations 2003 (S.I. 2003/964), regs. 1, 8(2)(b)

F21 Words in reg. 134(5)(a)(i) substituted (6.4.2003) by The Social Security (Contributions) (Amendment No. 2) Regulations 2003 (S.I. 2003/964), regs. 1, 8(3)

Deemed election of married women and widows excepted from contribution liability under the National Insurance Act 1965 U.K.

135.  Where immediately before 6th April 1975 there was, or is deemed to have been, in issue a current certificate of exception under regulation 9(3) or (4A) of the National Insurance (Contributions) Regulations 1969 F22 (exception for certain widows), or there was current an election under regulation 2(1)(a) of the National Insurance (Married Women) Regulations 1973 F23 (married women who are employed persons), or a women then was, or but for any exception under or by virtue of another provision of the National Insurance Act 1965 F24 would have been, excepted under regulation 3(1)(a) of the 1973 Regulations (married women who are self-employed persons) from liability for contributions as a self-employed person under that Act and in any of these cases on that day the woman is a widow or, as the case may be, a married woman, that woman shall be deemed to have made an election under regulation 91 of the 1975 Regulations.

Textual Amendments

F22 S.I. 1969/1696; the relevant amending instrument is S.I. 1970/1580.

F23 S.I. 1973/693.

F24 1965 c. 51.

Special transitional provisions regarding deemed elections U.K.

136.—(1) If, under regulation 135 a woman is deemed to have made an election under regulation 91 of the 1975 Regulations, this regulation applies.

(2) Before the woman first becomes liable to pay a primary Class 1 contribution she may revoke any such election by notice in writing given to the Board and, if she so specified in that notice, the revocation shall have effect from and including the beginning of the year in which the notice is given.

(3) If no notice of revocation is given and—

(a) in the first year (not being more than 2 years after 6th April 1978) in which the woman becomes liable to pay primary Class 1 contributions—

(i) she shall be entitled to choose whether with effect from the beginning of that year, to pay such contributions at the [F25 main primary percentage] or at the reduced rate,

(ii) she shall notify any secondary contributor whether he is to pay such contributions on her behalf at the [F26 main primary percentage] or the reduced rate, and

(iii) such secondary contributor shall pay those contributions in accordance with that notification until the woman notifies him to the contrary in accordance with the provisions of regulation 133(10);

(b) in that first year (not being more than 2 years after 6th April 1978) any primary Class 1 contribution at the standard rate is paid by or on behalf of the woman, unless it is shown to the satisfaction of the Board that the woman did not intend, by the making of that payment, to revoke the election she shall be deemed to have revoked the election.

Textual Amendments

F25 Words in reg. 136(3)(a)(i) substituted (6.4.2003) by The Social Security (Contributions) (Amendment No. 2) Regulations 2003 (S.I. 2003/964), regs. 1, 9(1)(2)(b)

F26 Words in reg. 136(3)(a)(ii) substituted (6.4.2003) by The Social Security (Contributions) (Amendment No. 2) Regulations 2003 (S.I. 2003/964), regs. 1, 9(1)(2)(b)

Application of regulations 126 to 134 to elections and revocation of elections deemed made under regulations 135 and 136 U.K.

137.—(1) Subject to paragraph (2), regulations 126 to 134, save only in so far as inconsistent with regulations 135 and 136, shall apply to any election deemed to have been made under regulation 91 of the 1975 Regulations by virtue of regulation 135 as if it had been made under, and in accordance with, regulation 127 except that the Board shall not be obliged to issue a certificate, and as if any revocation which is deemed to be made under regulation 136 were made under, and in accordance with, regulation 127(5).

(2) Where a woman who under regulation 135 is not liable for a primary Class 1 contribution otherwise than at the reduced rate and to whom no certificate of election under the Act has been issued becomes employed in employed earner’s employment, she shall make application in writing to the Board for such a certificate and, notwithstanding paragraph (1), the Board shall issue such a certificate to her.

Savings U.K.

138.  For the purpose of facilitating the introduction of the scheme of social security contributions within the meaning of paragraph 9(1)(a)(i) of Schedule 3 to the Social Security (Consequential Provisions) Act 1975 F27 regulations 2(2) (married women who are employed persons), 3(2) (married women who are self-employed persons), 4(2) (married women who are non-employed persons) and 16 (notice of marriage) of the National Insurance (Married Woman) Regulations 1973 shall be saved.

Textual Amendments

F27 1975 c. 18.

Modification of the Act U.K.

139.   [F28 Part 1, Part 2 (except section 60), and Parts 3 and 4 of the Act] shall have effect as respects married woman and widows subject to the modifications contained in this Case.

Textual Amendments

F28 Words in reg. 139 substituted (6.4.2003) by The Social Security (Contributions) (Amendment No. 2) Regulations 2003 (S.I. 2003/964), regs. 1, 10