Plans to increase NHS surcharge to £650

[Samsung]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election-2019-50449039

[Gary & Nok]

the payment charged to migrants to use the NHS - would apply to all migrants, both EU and non-EU, and would be raised from £400 to £625 a year.

Big hike!!!

[Greg / Pairin]

I am not surprised. It was in the Tories 2017 manifesto to increase the Surcharge to £600, it's only/just a matter of time.

[Darren]

getting a bit silly now, mandatory health insurance would be fairer. I wonder if fairness is even considered anymore?

[Tobias]

getting a bit silly now, mandatory health insurance would be fairer. I wonder if fairness is even considered anymore?

Health insurance would be much more expensive than the proposed NHS Surcharge. £625 a year for full access to the NHS is a bargain. At least that goes to the NHS instead of to the shareholders of the insurance companies.

[Samsung]

Lets hope labour do not get into power or we will be subsiding EU nationals so the increase will be more .

[Mark W]

Pheeew, seems i just got in on time with the £1200 fee.

[Allan]

What annoys me is that most people I speak with have absolutely no idea that an NHS surcharge already exists. They crack on about "foreigners should have to pay" (agreed) and then sit, open mouthed in disbelief when I explain that some already do!

[Darren]

really, didn't think it would be that expensive for a young person.

Still sucks that they deduct N.I from the immigrants wages...

[steve187]

i think its right to charge a fair price, £625 is ok i think, what i find wrong is that someone working on a FLR, paying tax and NI still has to pay, so in fact paying twice

[Tobias]

i think its right to charge a fair price, £625 is ok i think, what i find wrong is that someone working on a FLR, paying tax and NI still has to pay, so in fact paying twice

How are they paying twice? National Insurance for quite some time has nothing at all to do with healthcare or the NHS, making NI contributions allows a contributor access to certain state benefits and the State Pension.

[Darren]

How about a charge if you have to use the NHS, if not then you dont need to pay

[Carl]

Tobias I am very sorry but since the Blair Government (at least) NI has been used as a form of taxation with all state income going into one pot and disagregated. Hence arguments about not paying the proportion of tax spent on defence are not valid.
So my wife paying tax and NI plus the immigration surcharge is paying twice. In addition you could argue that as I also pay well above the national average of tax that we are paying the NHS surcharge 3 times.
The reality is that it is way of creating the hostile environment the Tory Government are so keen on inflicting on our partners.

[rasg]

How are they paying twice? National Insurance for quite some time has nothing at all to do with healthcare or the NHS, making NI contributions allows a contributor access to certain state benefits and the State Pension.

Exactly. We have people coming here, never having paid a penny into the system. £625 a year is a bargain if you factor in what it could cost if somebody had a bad accident, a rare illness or worse. My brother in law was squashed by a skip lorry around ten years ago and the bill would have been easily upwards of £300,000 if he'd had to pay.

I'm happy that my wife is on ILR for the next visa though but that will have gone up once or twice by the time it comes around. I am still of the belief that a Brit who has paid into the system for years and marries somebody from outside the EEA should get a huge discount on the visa fees.

[Greg / Pairin]

In addition you could argue that as I also pay well above the national average of tax that we are paying the NHS surcharge 3 times.

The flip side of the coin Carl, how are those going to cope that are only just over the £18600 threshold. When that was introduced back in 2012, the NHS surcharge would not of been in the equation of your average expenditure. An £18600 salary today, gives you roughly £310 per week. When you take into account the cost of the visa, plus the NHS surcharge of £1,562 up front, then your probably living off an income of £240 per week for the first year your partner arrives, probably less when you take into account flights etc.

[rasg]

So my wife paying tax and NI plus the immigration surcharge is paying twice. In addition you could argue that as I also pay well above the national average of tax that we are paying the NHS surcharge 3 times.

If you earn well above the national average in tax it means you are probably doing well. That is why you are paying more tax. The more you earn, the more tax you pay.

I could say I am being ripped off as I have never had kids (my choice) who have never needed schooling, used the NHS etc etc. I've hardly used the NHS myself at all over the years and I've paid a huge amount of tax. My wife is now earning quite well and pays tax and NIC. Do I consider I'm paying two or three times more than I should? No I don't but I would like to see a big discount for British citizens who marry partners from outside the EEA. I won't benefit though.

[Greg / Pairin]

No I don't but I would like to see a big discount for British citizens who marry partners from outside the EEA. I won't benefit though.

Plenty of scope to do exactly that.

https://www.gov.uk/government/public...tent=immediate

[Darren]

I agree with you Greg, I would prefer it if they just came out and said if you're on a lower income you're not really welcome.

[steve187]

How are they paying twice? National Insurance for quite some time has nothing at all to do with healthcare or the NHS, making NI contributions allows a contributor access to certain state benefits and the State Pension.

so how do we contribute to NHS

[UdonTh]

so how do we contribute to NHS

Just under 20% of NHS England funding comes from NI contributions the rest comes from general tax