12 March 2008
The Government is facing renewed pressure to allow women to buy
back missing National Insurance contributions to boost their state
pensions. Campaigner Baroness Hollis of Heigham will re-table an
amendment to the Pensions Bill later this month when it goes before
the House of Lords after the Bill's third and final reading in the
House of Commons.
Many women, particularly those in their late 50s or early 60s
who gave up work to look after their children, failed to build a
decent state pension. These women normally elected to pay the
married women's stamp - lower National Insurance contributions -
which means they did not qualify for a state pension in their own
right.
Baroness Hollis's amendment would allow extra National Insurance
to be paid to buy up to nine year's state pension.
