Social Security Contributions and Benefits (Northern Ireland) Act 1992

2 (1) The contribution conditions for sickness benefit are the following.

(2) The first condition is that—

(a) the claimant must have actually paid contributions of a relevant class in respect of any one year, and those contributions must have been paid before the relevant time; and

(b) the earnings factor derived as mentioned in sub-paragraph (4) below must be not less than that year’s lower earnings limit multiplied by 25.

(3) The second condition is that—

(a) the claimant must in respect of the last two complete years before the beginning of the relevant benefit year have either paid or been credited with contributions of a relevant class or been credited (in the case of 1987-88 or any subsequent year) with earnings; and

(b) the earnings factor derived as mentioned in sub-paragraph (5) below must be not less in each of those years than the year’s lower earnings limit multiplied by 50.

(4) The earnings factor referred to in paragraph (b) of sub-paragraph (2) above is that which is derived—

(a) if the year in question is 1987-88 or any subsequent year—

(i) from earnings upon which primary Class 1 contributions have been paid or treated as paid; or

(ii) from Class 2 contributions; or

(b) if the year in question is an earlier year, from the contributions paid as mentioned in paragraph (a) of that sub-paragraph.

(5) The earnings factor referred to in paragraph (b) of sub-paragraph (3) above is that which is derived—

(a) if the year in question is 1987-88 or any subsequent year—

(i) from earnings upon which primary Class 1 contributions have been paid or treated as paid or from earnings credited; or

(ii) from Class 2 contributions; or

(b) if the year in question is an earlier year, from the contributions referred to in paragraph (a) of that sub-paragraph.

(6) For the purposes of these conditions—

(a) “the relevant time” is the day in respect of which benefit is claimed;

(b) “the relevant benefit year” is the benefit year in which there falls the beginning of the period of interruption of employment which includes the relevant time.