The petition of residents of the constituency of Linlithgow and East Falkirk,
Declares that in this time of crisis in the cost of living, the spiralling cost of the immigration health surcharge paid by migrants is alarming; further that the immigration health surcharge now stands at £1035 per annum, representing a 400% increase compared with five years ago; further that when combined with the increases in visa and immigration fees, many migrant families are facing poverty, debt and destitution as they try to bear these costs; and notes that migrant workers are a vital part of our communities and our workforce, including in the UK’s health and social care sectors.
The petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons urge the Government to review the immigration health surcharge, taking account of the fact that migrants already pay into and contribute significantly to health and care services across the UK.
And the petitioners remain, etc.—[Presented by Martyn Day, Official Report, 13 March 2024; Vol. 747, c. 396 .]
[P002925]
Observations from the Minister for Legal Migration and the Border (Tom Pursglove):
While the significant contribution migrants make to the UK is recognised, it is the Government’s policy that they should contribute directly to the comprehensive nd high-quality NHS services available to them from the moment they arrive in the UK.
The immigration health surcharge is paid by temporary migrants applying for a visa to enter the UK for more than six months. It is paid up front, is separate to the visa fee, and covers the full cost to the NHS of providing healthcare to those who pay it.
Once paid, an IHS payer can access NHS services in broadly the same manner as permanent residents— without having made any prior tax or national insurance contributions. Where additional NHS charges are paid, these are consistent with those paid by a UK resident, such as prescription charges in England.
Some temporary migrants will be paying tax and national insurance contributions. However, they will not have made the same financial contribution to the NHS which most UK nationals and permanent residents have made, or will make, over the course of their working lives. It is the migrant’s immigration status that determines whether or not they pay the IHS, not their tax contributions.
It is therefore right and fair that an up-front financial contribution to the NHS is required.
The IHS was increased in February this year, as agreed by Parliament, to £1,035 per person per annum, with the discounted rate for students, their dependents, those on youth mobility schemes, and under-18s increasing to £776 per person per annum. These new levels reflect the increases in healthcare expenditure and utilise the latest revised assumptions of migrant use of healthcare services. I note the increase does not represent the claimed 400% increase in five years.
It is important to highlight that safeguards exist in administrating the IHS. The Government recognise the cost of the IHS may be unaffordable for some. On family and human rights routes a fee waiver application can be made, and a full fee waiver will be granted if it is determined the applicant cannot afford the visa fee, and the IHS. A partial fee waiver can be granted if it is determined they can afford the visa fee but not the IHS as well.
Finally, the IHS is designed to benefit our NHS and support its long-term sustainability. Payment of the IHS provides near comprehensive access to our health service, regardless of the amount of care needed. It is right that migrants granted temporary permission to be in the UK make a financial contribution to the running of NHS services available to them during their stay.