Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether HC2 certificates provided to asylum seekers being supported under section 95 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 are automatically renewed.

Where UK Visas and Immigration make an assessment that asylum seekers qualify for support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999, they issue HC2 certificates, conferring entitlement to Help with Health Costs via the NHS Low Income Scheme, which are valid for six months. If the asylum seeker continues to be supported at the time the certificate expires, they will be entitled to a replacement HC2.

Asylum seekers who are not supported by UK Visas and Immigration can apply to the NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) for a HC2 certificate. Those who were, but are no longer, supported by UK Visas and Immigration can also apply to the NHSBSA for a replacement shortly before their certificate expires.

We do not have information on the average time that it takes UK Visas and Immigration to issue HC2 certificates to asylum seekers, or the number of claims from asylum seekers currently awaiting processing by UK Visas and Immigration. For the NHSBSA, the average time (from the period April to October 2016) for the NHSBSA to process an application to the NHS Low Income Scheme and issue a certificate, including for applications from asylum seekers, is nine days. The oldest claim currently awaiting assessment was received 14 days ago (as at 3 November). We do not hold information on the number of claims from asylum seekers awaiting processing by the NHSBSA.