Married women in their 40s and 50s may still be paying what are called 'reduced rate' married woman's National Insurance (NI) contributions.

These archaic contributions were introduced with the National Insurance scheme which began in 1948. They allow married women to pay lower NI contributions - but they get nothing in return.

The reduced rate contributions were abolished for women who first started contributing after April 1977. But a married woman who was already paying them at that time can still pay them now, as long as she has contributed continuously since.

Around 100,000 married women still pay the reduced rate and more than a million women under 60 have paid them at some time.

The reduced rate is currently 3.85% of earnings between �89 and �585 a week (�4628 and �30,420 a year), compared with 10% for people who pay full National Insurance contributions (8.4% of you are contracted out of State Second Pension).

No rights

But the reduced rate earns you, in effect nothing. You get no rights to a retirement pension, no rights to Jobseeker's Allowance, and no rights to sickness benefit.

All you earn is the right to industrial injuries benefit and maternity allowance - if you cannot get maternity pay from your employer.

So for a weekly payment of between �3.42 and �22.52 some married women are earning no pension and getting almost no benefits at all.

Most married women were not told these details when they were encouraged to pay reduced rate contributions in the past.

Responding to Money Box on Saturday 11 May 2002, Kate emailed us from Hampshire:

"I was interested in your report on reduced pension rights for women. I fall into this category and it is a real scandal that women have not been given any detailed information as to how this would affect their rights on retirement"

And Sheila emailed us to say:

"Like many others, I was told (rather than asked) when I married that I should pay the married woman's NI stamp. When I woke up to this and 'phoned Newcastle, I talked to a very charming and friendly woman who told me that she was in exactly the same situation and that it was not worth my while even thinking about trying to top anything up."

If you want to email Money Box about married women's National Insurance click here.