National Insurance Act 1965

14 General provisions as to payment and collection of contributions, etc.

(1) Regulations may provide—

(a) for any matters incidental to the payment and collection of contributions under this Act, including the co-ordination thereof with the payment and collection of contributions under the Industrial Injuries Act and the modification in that behalf of that Act;

(b) for treating, for the purpose of any right to benefit, contributions paid after the due dates as paid on those dates or on such later dates as may be prescribed, or as not having been paid;

(c) for treating, for the purpose of any right to benefit, contributions payable by an employer on behalf of an insured person, but not paid, as paid where the failure to pay is shown not to have been with the consent or connivance of, or attributable to any negligence on the part of, the insured person;

(d) for treating contributions of the wrong class or at the wrong rate as paid on account of the contributions properly payable or on account of contributions under the Industrial Injuries Act, and for treating contributions under that Act which were not payable as paid on account of contributions under this Act, notwithstanding anything in that Act;

(e) for the return of contributions under this Act paid in error.

(2) Where under regulations made by virtue of subsection (1) of this section contributions under this Act, with or without contributions under the Industrial Injuries Act, are payable by means of adhesive stamps, those stamps (hereafter in this Act referred to as " insurance stamps ") shall be prepared and issued in such manner as the Postmaster General, with the consent of the Treasury, may direct; and the Postmaster General may—

(a) provide for the sale of insurance stamps through any post office; and

(b) by regulations provide for applying, with the necessary adaptations as respects insurance stamps, all or any of the provisions (including penal provisions) of the [1891 c. 38.] Stamp Duties Management Act 1891, section 9 of the [1891 c. 39.] Stamp Act 1891 and section 63 of the [1953 c. 36.] Post Office Act 1953.

(3) Regulations made by the Minister by virtue of this section providing for the payment of contributions, at the option of the persons liable to pay, either—

(a) by means of adhesive stamps ; or

(b) by some alternative method, the use of which involves greater expense in administration to the government departments concerned than would be incurred if the contributions were paid by means of such stamps,

may include provision for the payment to the Minister by any person who adopts any alternative method, and for the recovery by the Minister, of the prescribed fees in respect of the difference in the expense in administration.