Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of raising the immigration health surcharge to £2,700 per person per year.
The Immigration Health Surcharge rates are under review to ensure that it reflects the full cost of providing healthcare services and the extra cost pressure that the migrant-driven population growth is placing on the NHS. The Government is increasing the IHS rates, as set out in legislation laid before Parliament on 19 October. The increased IHS rates of £1,035 (full rate) and £776 (discounted rate) detailed in the Immigration (Health Charge) (Amendment) Order 2023 are based on the Department for Health and Social Care’s estimate of the average annual cost to the NHS of treating IHS payers.