Decimalization of National Insurance stamps did not go smoothly due to a postal strike. The Department of Health and Social Security issued the following statement:
Because of decimalization, all £sd National Insurance stamps are being withdrawn from sale when Post Offices close for the changeover at 1 pm today, Friday 12 February. They will not be available anywhere after this. Owing to the postal dispute supplies of £sd National Insurance stamps have already been exhausted at some Sub-Post Offices, and it has not been possible to distribute the new decimal stamps in time for the changeover. Decimal National Insurance stamps cannot be distributed until after the settlement of the dispute, but should be available in most places a few days after normal working is resumed. £sd stamps may be used up after the changeover, and decimal stamps may be used for earlier weeks if necessary.
February 1971 Issue
Date: 15 Feb 1971 – 4 July 1971
Printer: HM Stationery Office
Process: Photogravure
Watermark: Block MNI
The first decimal issue was identical to the last pre-decimal issue, but with rates changed from shillings & pence to equivalent decimal amounts. There were 35 stamps for 36 rates: the rate for a Girl Abroad & Exempt was £1.31 but no stamp was issued.
Employed
Self-employed
Non-employed
July 1971 Issue
Date: 5 July 1971 – 19 Sept 1971
Printer: HM Stationery Office
Process: Photogravure
Watermark: Block MNI
Selective Employment Tax (SET) rates were cut in half from 5 July 1971, reducing all Class 1 rates. There were 19 stamps for the 20 new rates: the rate for a Girl Abroad & Exempt was £0.91 but no stamp was issued. Class 2, Class 3, Industrial injuries, and Mercantile Marine rates were unchanged.
Employed
September 1971 Issue
Date: 20 Sept 1971 – 1 Oct 1972
Printer: HM Stationery Office
Process: Photogravure
Watermark: Block MNI
The third issue of the year had 26 stamps for 36 rates: 9 were unchanged (4x Class 1, 3x Mercantile Marine, 2x Contracted Out), and the rate for a Girl Abroad & Exempt was £0.90 but no stamp was issued. Mercantile Marine rates were unchanged except for the Exempt rate which was increased from 85p to 86p. The choice of design for the 86p stamp seems curious.
(unchanged)
Self-employed
Non-employed
October 1972 Issue
Date: 2 Oct 1972 – 1 Apr 1973
Printer: HM Stationery Office
Process: Photogravure
Watermark: Block MNI
The 1972 issue had 31 stamps for 36 rates: the rates for a Girl Abroad and for a Woman Abroad & Exempt were both £1.44 so shared a stamp (with blank SET value tablet), 3 of 4 Industrial Injuries rates were unchanged, and the rate for a Girl Abroad & Exempt was £0.98 but no stamp was issued.
Employed
Self-employed
Non-employed
April 1973 Issue
Date: 2 Apr 1973 – 30 Sept 1973
Printer: HM Stationery Office
Process: Photogravure
Watermark: Block MNI
Selective Employment Tax (SET) was abolished from 2 Apr 1973, reducing all Class 1 rates. There were 19 stamps for the 20 new rates: the rate for a Girl Abroad & Exempt was £0.58 but no stamp was issued. Class 2, Class 3, Industrial injuries, and Mercantile Marine rates were unchanged.
Employed
October 1973 Issue
Date: 1 Oct 1973 – 20 Jan 1974
Printer: HM Stationery Office
Process: Photogravure
Watermark: Block MNI
The second issue of the year had 32 stamps for 36 rates: the rates for a Woman Abroad and for a Class 2 Woman were both £1.61 so shared a stamp (with an oval), the rates for a Girl Abroad and for a Man Abroad & Exempt were both £1.10 so shared a stamp, one Industrial Injuries rate was unchanged, and the rate for a Girl Abroad & Exempt was £0.64 but no stamp was issued.
Employed
Self-employed
Non-employed
January 1974 Issue
Date: 21 Jan 1974 – 4 Aug 1974
Printer: HM Stationery Office
Process: Photogravure
Watermark: Block MNI
The 1974 issue had 27 stamps for 36 rates: this is the only issue that has two different stamp designs for the same value (£1.95 Mercantile Marine and Contracted Out Woman, presumably an oversight), four rates had double duty (£0.74, £1.15, £1.20, £1.33), Industrial Injuries rates were unchanged, and the rate for a Girl Abroad & Exempt was £0.69 but no stamp was issued.
Employed
Self-employed
Non-employed
(unchanged)
August 1974 Issue
Date: 5 Aug 1974 – 5 Apr 1975
Printer: HM Stationery Office
Process: Photogravure
Watermark: Block MNI
The second issue of the year had 33 stamps for 36 rates: the rates for a Class 1 Girl and for Contracted Out Abroad & Exempt were both £1.45 so shared a stamp, the rates for a Boy Abroad and for a Man Abroad & Exempt were both £1.61 so shared a stamp, and the rate for a Girl Abroad & Exempt was £0.93 but no stamp was issued.
Employed
Self-employed
Non-employed
(unchanged)
1975-1993
Class 1 stamps became obsolete in 1975. The Social Security Act 1975, effective 6 April 1975, replaced flat-rate stamps by an earnings-related contribution system collected alongside Income Tax through PAYE (Pay As You Earn), ending the requirement to physically stamp cards. Class 2 rates for women were raised as part of a transitional period to equalize them with Class 2 rates for men by 1978.
Man
Woman
10 Apr 1976
9 Apr 1977
8 Apr 1978
7 Apr 1979
5 Apr 1980
11 Apr 1981
10 Apr 1982
9 Apr 1983
7 Apr 1984
6 Apr 1985
5 Oct 1985
5 Apr 1986
11 Apr 1987
9 Apr 1988
8 Apr 1989
7 Apr 1990
6 Apr 1991
11 Apr 1992
10 Apr 1993
No further insurance stamps were issued.
Thanks again to Barry Chinchen for his original research on this topic.