(1)Where in any tax week earnings are paid to or for the benefit of an earner in respect of any one employment of his which is employed earner’s employment and—
(a)he is over the age of 16; and
(b)the amount paid is equal to or exceeds the current lower earnings limit for Class 1 contributions (or the prescribed equivalent in the case of earners paid otherwise than weekly),
a primary and a secondary Class 1 contribution shall be payable in accordance with this section and sections 8 and 9 below.
(2)Except as may be prescribed, no primary Class 1 contribution shall be payable in respect of earnings paid to or for the benefit of an employed earner after he attains pensionable age, but without prejudice to any liability to pay secondary Class 1 contributions in respect of any such earnings.
(3)The primary and secondary Class 1 contributions referred to in subsection (1) above are payable as follows—
(a)the primary contribution shall be the liability of the earner; and
(b)the secondary contribution shall be the liability of the secondary contributor;
but nothing in this subsection shall prejudice the provisions of paragraph 3 of Schedule 1 to this Act relating to the manner in which the earner’s liability falls to be discharged.
(4)Except as provided by this Act, the primary and secondary Class 1 contributions in respect of earnings paid to or for the benefit of an earner in respect of any one employment of his shall be payable without regard to any other such payment of earnings in respect of any other employment of his.
(5)Regulations may provide for reducing primary or secondary Class 1 contributions which are payable in respect of persons to whom section 11 of the [1965 c. 19 (N.I.).] Contracts of Employment and Redundancy Payments Act (Northern Ireland) 1965 (redundancy payments) does not apply by virtue of section 26(1) or (5) of that Act.
(6)The power conferred by subsection (1) above to prescribe an equivalent of the lower earnings limit includes power to prescribe an amount which exceeds, by not more than £1.00, the amount which is the arithmetical equivalent of that limit.