Written question asked by John Healey (Labour) on Monday, 22 March 1999, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Friday, 26 March 1999. It was answered by Andrew Smith (Labour) on Friday, 26 March 1999 on behalf of the Department for Education and Employment.

Dept for Education and Employment

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, if he will make a statement on whether the (a) long and (b) short term national insurance based benefits of a participant on the New Deal for 18 to 24 year olds will be safeguarded in circumstances where the young person is employed in a subsidised New Deal job but whose gross pay is less than the lower earnings limit for national insurance contributions.

Answer: Mr. Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will make a statement on whether the (a) long and (b) short term national insurance based benefits of a participant on the New Deal for 18 to 24-year-olds will be safeguarded in circumstances where the young person is employed in a subsidised New Deal job but whose gross pay is less than the lower earnings limit for national insurance contributions. [78725] Mr. Andrew Smith: The introduction of the National Minimum Wage on 1 April will result in all young people employed under the New Deal receiving gross pay above the lower earnings limit for national insurance contributions. A small number of New Deal employees may have had gross earnings just below the lower earnings limit threshold this year. In these cases, as with other employees with low earnings, national insurance contributions will not have been paid and credits will not have been awarded.

Secondary information

Type: Written question
Reference: 78725; 328 c443W
Session: 1998-99
Subjects: Employment schemes Minimum wage National insurance contributions Low pay National insurance benefits Young people New deal schemes New deal for young people Earnings limits National insurance credits