To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what calculation was made to set the figure of £200 for the Immigration Health Surcharge.
Answered on
30 June 2015
In setting the amount of the charge, the last Government considered the range of health services available without charge to migrants, the valuable contribution migrants make to our country and the need to ensure that the UK remains an attractive destination for global talent.
Taking these factors into account, the Government set the charge at £200 per annum, per migrant (with a discounted rate of £150 per annum for students). This is well below the average per capita cost to the NHS of treating temporary migrants. It is also below the rate that migrants might expect to pay for health insurance in our competitor countries. An Impact Assessment published in October 2013 (entitled ‘Regulating migrant access to health services in the UK’), provides further detail.