1(1)The contribution conditions for unemployment benefit or sickness benefit are the following.
(2)The first condition is that—
(a)the claimant must in respect of any one year have actually paid contributions of a relevant class, and those contributions must have been paid before the relevant time ; and
(b)the earnings factor derived from those contributions 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 relevant past year have either paid or been credited with contributions of a relevant class; and
(b)the earnings factor derived from those contributions must be not less than that year's lower earnings limit multiplied by 50.
(4)For the purposes of these conditions—
(a)" the relevant time " is the day in respect of which benefit is claimed; and
(b)" the relevant past year" is the last complete year before the beginning of the relevant benefit year ; and
(c)" 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.