For regulation 54 of the principal Regulations (method of, and time for, payment of Class 2 and Class 3 contributions etc. ) there shall be substituted the following regulations —
(54)
(1) Where Class 2 or Class 3 contributions are payable by a person other than in accordance with arrangements approved under regulation 54A of these regulations (arrangements approved by the Secretary of State etc.), such contributions shall be paid in accordance with the provisions of paragraph (2), (3) or (4), as the case may be, of this regulation.
(2) Where—
(a) a person who is liable to pay a Class 2 contribution in respect of any contribution week in a contribution quarter has notified the Secretary of State of his liability in accordance with the provisions of regulation 53A of these regulations (notification of commencement or cessation of payment of Class 2 or Class 3 contributions); and
(b) the Secretary of State, within 14 days after the end of the quarter in question, has issued him with written notice of the number of contribution weeks in that quarter, of the weekly rate at which the contribution is payable and of the date specified as the date of notification,
that person shall pay to the Secretary of State the amount of contributions for which he is liable not later than 28 days after the specified date of notification.
(3) Where—
(a) a person who is entitled although not liable to pay a Class 2 contribution, or who is entitled to pay a Class 3 contribution, in any year, has notified the Secretary of State of his entitlement in accordance with the provisions of regulation 53A of these regulations; and
(b) the Secretary of State, within 14 days after the end of a contribution quarter which commences in that year, has issued him with written notice of the amount he may pay in respect of his entitlement in that quarter,
that person may, if he so wishes, pay to the Secretary of State a sum not exceeding that amount.
(4) Where—
(a) paragraph (5) or (6) of this regulation applies to a person; and
(b) the Secretary of State has then, in respect of that person’s liability for Class 2 contributions or entitlement to pay Class 2 or Class 3 contributions, issued or re-issued him, as the case may be, with written notice of the number of contribution weeks in respect of which the liability arises together with the weekly rate, and of the date specified as the date of notification, or, where he is entitled to pay contributions, of the amount of his entitlement,
that person shall, if he is liable to pay a contribution, pay the amount of contributions for which he is liable not later than 28 days after the specified date of notification and, if he is entitled to pay a contribution, he may pay a sum not exceeding the amount of his entitlement, to the Secretary of State.
(5) This paragraph applies to a person who—
(a) has notified the Secretary of State in accordance with the provisions of regulation 53A of these regulations that—
(i) he is liable to pay a Class 2 contribution in respect of one or more weeks in a contribution quarter, or
(ii) he is entitled although not liable to pay a Class 2 contribution, or is entitled to pay a Class 3 contribution, in a contribution quarter; and
(b) has—
(i) not had written notice issued to him of the kind referred to in paragraph (2) of this regulation in respect of that week or weeks, or of the kind referred to in paragraph (3) of this regulation in respect of the amount of that contribution and more than 14 days have elapsed since the end of the contribution quarter in question, or
(ii) notified the Secretary of State in accordance with the provisions of regulation 53A of these regulations that he has ceased to be liable to pay Class 2 contributions or ceased to be entitled to pay Class 2 or Class 3 contributions, as the case may be.
(6) This paragraph applies to a person—
(a) to whom a written notice of the kind referred to in paragraph (2), (3) or (4) of this regulation has been issued and who has informed the Secretary of State immediately—
(i) that the notice he received has since been lost, destroyed or defaced, or
(ii) that he disputes the amount of contributions which he is liable or entitled to pay in the contribution quarter in question; or
(b) who has notified the Secretary of State not later than 28 days after the end of the contribution quarter in question that he has not received such a notice.
(7) A written notice of the kind referred to in paragraph (2), (3) or (4) of this regulation shall be accompanied by a bank giro credit form in order that payment may be made at a bank.
(8) In this regulation—
(a) the term “bank” includes a bank within the meaning of section 40 of the Post Office Act 1969 (giro system);
(b) “contribution quarter” means one of the four periods of not less than 13 contribution weeks commencing on the first day of the first, fourteenth, twenty-seventh or fortieth contribution week, as the case may be, in any year.
Arrangements approved by the Secretary of State for method of, and time for, payment of Class 2 and Class 3 contributions
(54A)
(1) The Secretary of State may, if he thinks fit, and subject to such terms and conditions as he may impose, approve arrangements whereby contributions are paid at times, or in a manner, other than those prescribed in regulation 54 of these regulations (method of, and time for, payment of Class 2 and Class 3 contributions) and in particular, where during any year a person is both an employed earner and a self-employed earner and the Secretary of State is satisfied that the total amount of Class 1 contributions which are likely to be paid by or in respect of that person will be such as to result in the amount of contributions which are likely to be paid by that person in respect of that same year exceeding the maximum amount prescribed in regulation 17(1) of these regulations, the Secretary of State may, with a view to avoiding excess payment of contributions, make special arrangements with that person as to the manner and date for any or any further payment by him of Class 2 contributions in respect of that year.
(2) The provisions of these regulations shall, subject to the provisions of the arrangements, apply to the person affected by the arrangements, and any contravention of, or failure to comply with, any requirements of the arrangements shall be deemed to be a contravention of or failure to comply with these regulations.
(3) Where in respect of an earner arrangements are authorised under paragraph (1) of this regulation for payment of contributions by way of direct debit of a bank, such arrangements shall be subject to the condition that any payment by way of such direct debit as on account of such contributions after the authority of the bank to make such payment has for any reason ceased to be effective, shall not be a payment of contributions for the purposes of the Act and for the purposes of this paragraph the term “bank” includes a bank within the meaning of section 40 of the Post Office Act 1969 (giro system).