--- title: "The Social Security (Contributions) (Rates, Limits and Thresholds Amendments, National Insurance Funds Payments and Extension of Veteran’s Relief) Regulations 2026" id: b374994e-35ee-44f1-bbb5-77817c324412 authority: uk place: "United Kingdom" applies_also_from: [] kind: regulation in_force: true publisher_url: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2026/231 attribution: "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives." solon_url: https://solon.orangecat.ch/law/b374994e-35ee-44f1-bbb5-77817c324412 language: en in_force_from: 2026-04-06 date_basis: publisher status: consolidated source_url: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2026/231/data.xml read_on: 2026-11-10 sha256: d410515726d05e01e5f43d7d3e2de01c29d90f13f1d70789ff910df40cd4e776 provisions: 9 --- # The Social Security (Contributions) (Rates, Limits and Thresholds Amendments, National Insurance Funds Payments and Extension of Veteran’s Relief) Regulations 2026 ## Title and introductory text {#prelims} 2026 No. 231 SOCIAL SECURITY The Social Security (Contributions) (Rates, Limits and Thresholds Amendments, National Insurance Funds Payments and Extension of Veteran’s Relief) Regulations 2026 Made 3rd March 2026 Coming into force 6th April 2026 These Regulations are made by the Treasury in exercise of the powers conferred by sections 5(1) and (4) to (6), 9A(7) and (8), 9B(4) and (5) and 175(3) of the Social Security Contributions and Benefits Act 1992 (“the Contributions Act”), sections 5(1) and (4) to (6), 9A(7) and (8), 9B(4) and (5) and 171(3) and (10) of the Social Security Contributions and Benefits (Northern Ireland) Act 1992 (“the Northern Ireland Contributions Act”), sections 141(4) and 142(2) and (3) of the Social Security Administration Act 1992 (“the Administration Act”), section 129 of the Social Security Administration (Northern Ireland) Act 1992 (“the Northern Ireland Administration Act”), section 2(2) and (3) of the Social Security Act 1993 (“the 1993 Act”), Article 4(3) and (4) of the Social Security (Northern Ireland) Order 1993 (“the 1993 Order”), sections 6(6) and 8(4) to (8) of the National Insurance Contributions Act 2022 (“the NICA 2022”). Regulations 3 and 4 are made as a result of the Treasury carrying out in the tax year 2025-26 a review of the general level of earnings in Great Britain in accordance with section 141(1) and (2) of the Administration Act. The Treasury have determined that, in relation to Great Britain, regulations 3 and 4 should be made under section 141 of the Administration Act to amend Part 1 of the Contributions Act by altering the rate of, and small profits threshold for, Class 2 contributions and the rate of Class 3 contributions. Regulations 3 and 4 make provision for Northern Ireland which corresponds to that mentioned in relation to Great Britain in the preceding recital, in accordance with section 129 of the Northern Ireland Administration Act. With a view to adjusting the level at which the National Insurance Fund stands for the time being and having regard to estimated benefit expenditure for the financial year ending with 31st March 2027, the Treasury think it expedient that regulation 7 should be made under section 2(2) and (3) of the 1993 Act. With a view to adjusting the level at which the Northern Ireland National Insurance Fund stands for the time being and having regard to estimated benefit expenditure for the financial year ending with 31st March 2027, the Treasury think it expedient that regulation 8 should be made under Article 4(3) and (4) of the 1993 Order. A draft of these Regulations was laid before Parliament in accordance with the provisions of section 176(1)(za), (zb) and (a) of the Contributions Act, section 172(11ZA), (11ZB) and (11A) of the Northern Ireland Contributions Act, sections 141(3) and 190(1)(a) of the Administration Act, section 166(10A) of the Northern Ireland Administration Act, section 2(8) of the 1993 Act, Article 4(8) of the 1993 Order and section 12(2) of the NICA 2022 and approved by a resolution of each House of Parliament. ## 1 Citation and commencement {#regulation-1} These Regulations may be cited as the Social Security (Contributions) (Rates, Limits and Thresholds Amendments, National Insurance Funds Payments and Extension of Veteran’s Relief) Regulations 2026 and come into force on 6th April 2026. ## 2 Interpretation {#regulation-2} In this Part— “the Act” means the Social Security Contributions and Benefits Act 1992; “the Northern Ireland Act” means the Social Security Contributions and Benefits (Northern Ireland) Act 1992. ## 3 Rate of and small profits threshold for Class 2 contributions {#regulation-3} In section 11 of the Act and the Northern Ireland Act (Class 2 contributions)— (a) in subsection (4) for “£6,845” substitute “£7,105”; (b) in subsection (6) for “£3.50” substitute “£3.65”. ## 4 Amount of a Class 3 contribution {#regulation-4} In section 13(1) of the Act and the Northern Ireland Act (Class 3 contributions) for “£17.75” substitute “£18.40”. ## 5 Amendment to the Social Security (Contributions) Regulations 2001 {#regulation-5} (1) The Social Security (Contributions) Regulations 2001 are amended as follows. (2) In regulation 10 (earnings limits and thresholds)— (a) for “2025” substitute “2026”; (b) in paragraph (a) for “£125” substitute “£129”. ## 6 Amendment to the National Insurance Contributions Act 2022 {#regulation-6} (1) The National Insurance Contributions Act 2022 is amended as follows. (2) In section 6(4) (zero-rate contributions for armed forces veterans)— (a) in paragraph (d) for “2025-26.” substitute “2025-26;”; (b) after paragraph (d) insert— (e) 2026-27; (f) 2027-28. . (3) In section 8 (upper secondary threshold for earnings: special tax site employees and armed forces veterans)— (a) in paragraph (1) for “and 6 April 2025” substitute “, 6 April 2025 and 6 April 2026”; (b) in paragraph (2) for “and 6 April 2025” substitute “, 6 April 2025, 6 April 2026 and 6 April 2027”. ## 7 Prescribed percentage of estimated benefit expenditure - Great Britain {#regulation-7} Section 2(2) of the Social Security Act 1993 (payments into National Insurance Fund out of money provided by Parliament) has effect with respect to the tax year 2026-27 and the prescribed percentage of estimated benefit expenditure for the financial year ending with 31st March in that tax year shall be 5 per cent. ## 8 Prescribed percentage of estimated benefit expenditure - Northern Ireland {#regulation-8} Article 4(3) of the Social Security (Northern Ireland) Order 1993 (payments into National Insurance Fund out of appropriated money) has effect with respect to the tax year 2026-27 and the prescribed percentage of estimated benefit expenditure for the financial year ending with 31st March in that tax year shall be 5 per cent.