The cost of health care for migrants is going up by 66% on 6 February
Adults will be expected to pay £1,035 a year just to have a right to access NHS; children will have to pay £776 a year – an overnight increase of 66%[1];
Around 1.5M people a year will be liable to pay these eye-watering fees[2];
People have to pay this fee even if they work, pay national insurance and already contribute to NHS through their taxes, regardless of whether they need healthcare or not;
This rising fee, alongside hefty Home Office visa fees, will push thousands into poverty.
Migrants in the UK already face some of the highest upfront visa fees and costs in the world – including parents of British children, keyworkers, and young people who have arrived to the UK as children.
But they will see the fees they have to pay to access healthcare significantly increase on 6 February[3].
A family of four on a typical visa route will be required to pay £13,246 every 2.5 years between Home Office and NHS fees – a significant increase from the already prohibitive bill they were expected to pay prior to 6 February[4].
Research conducted at Praxis[5] shows that even before these fee rises, many migrants in the UK are at severe risk of destitution and homelessness because of the onerous nature of visa fees and their lack of access to a welfare safety net.
This new measure is likely to push even more people – including children – into poverty and despair.
Case Study
Margarita works for a charity, is married to a British citizen and is the mother of four British children.
Despite her role as a key worker and being well established in her community, every 2.5 years she has to renew her leave to remain, paying thousands in fees every time. Her next renewal is coming up in December, when she will be expected to pay around £4,000 just to renew her papers. £2,587 will be for the NHS surcharge, which is rising by 66% on 6 February.
Margarita is only one among millions having to pay this fee to secure their right to healthcare – even if she works and pays taxes.
“When I heard about the fees rising so much, I felt betrayed and deceived. I have no choice but to pay this money but it’s going to have such a huge impact on me and my family – it makes me feel trapped.
To put together this sum we will have to cut back on food, on extracurricular activities that support my children’s education, on essentials that keep us alive. How can this be fair?”
Josephine Whitaker-Yilmaz, Praxis Policy and Public Affairs Manager, had this to say:
“Fees are already eye-wateringly high. Hiking them even further – and well above inflation – will push thousands deeper into poverty and insecurity. And these are people who, in many cases, have already been living in our communities for many years, working and contributing to the NHS through the taxes they already pay.
At Praxis, every day we see people already struggling to afford bills and food while they try and save the thousands needed for these fees, especially as the cost of living crisis drags on.
Instead of treating people who were born outside the UK as cash cows to be tapped when the need arises, the Government should be doing everything it can to get control of the cost of living crisis and ensure that every household has the support they need.
Serious concerns were raised by peers and MPs about the Home Office's calculations and the rationale for such a significant increase. Yet the Government has pressed ahead with the increase, seemingly regardless of the consequences it will have.”
[1] NHS surcharge before the 6 February rise: adult: £624/year; child: £470/year
[2] https://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/CBP-7274/CBP-7274.pdf
[3] https://www.gov.uk/government/news/home-secretary-underlines-commitment-to-cut-net-migration
[4] Projected cost for a family of four on the ten year route to settlement, with two adults and two children, before 6 February: £9,662
[5] https://www.praxis.org.uk/briefings/experiences-on-the-10-year-route-to-settlement