•If you cannot afford the premiums you can apply for exemption or deferral. Neither counts as non-payment and both count toward the qualifying period — but they differ in how they affect your future pension: a fully exempted period counts as half of a fully paid one (the tax-funded portion), while a deferred period does not count toward the pension amount at all (deferral is for ages 20 to 49)
•Months left unpaid do not count towards the old-age basic pension you will receive. If paying is difficult, applying for an exemption or deferral rather than simply not paying keeps those months in your qualifying period
•If your spouse is a company employee, you may be able to enroll as a dependent (Class 3) and pay no premium