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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to think it's unfair we have to pay a £500 surcharge for the NHS

195 replies

alaskanbaby · 02/07/2015 21:20

My DH (let's call him Mr. Alaska) and I both work full time, and pay income tax like everyone else, which goes towards our use of the NHS like everyone else. We've just found out that we need to fork out a £500 surcharge for his use of the NHS as part of his extension of his immigration visa (for being my husband of 5 years, and father of our 18 month old DD - both she and I are British, though I guess she's sponging off the NHS quite a bit). Am I being unreasonable to think it's unfair that my DH has to pay twice?

OP posts:
Kampeki · 03/07/2015 07:59

I agree the cost of visa application is high but how much do you think it costs in administration? I don't think the immigration service is profit making.

According to the figures that the home office published a few years ago, they were actually making a profit on many categories of visa.

And croc, as others have pointed out already, the other option is not private health insurance - immigrants have to pay the NHS surcharge regardless of whether or not they have private health insurance as well.

When I lived overseas, I didn't have to pay extra to access the public healthcare system - I just paid the local tax and national insurance contributions like everyone else.

Trazzletoes · 03/07/2015 08:05

goodness every one coming to or applying to stay in the UK who aren't applying for a visit visa or settlement or on an EU basis has to pay the surcharge apart from a couple of limited exceptions.

It was brought in with very little warning and has left many families in dire straits. Ok, there's 2 parents and 2 children: they are here on a human rights visa. Renewal before April was free. In April suddenly it costs £650 per person. Plus £600 each health surcharge. Where do you get that money from?!!! With no warning!

The Home Office does make profit of visa applications. For goodness' sake the admin costs for an EU card are £65. And dependent relatives visas are in the region of £2000. As far as anyone can tell, simply to discourage people from applying and for the Home Office to make a packet off those that do.

youareallbonkers · 03/07/2015 08:05

Yes, it's terribly unfair, don't let us keep you in the UK a moment longer. Unless he is here for his entire working life he is not going to contribute as much. We have no reason to believe he won't take out loads then head home

Trazzletoes · 03/07/2015 08:06

Lovelyfriend Australians are exempt from the surcharge. I can't remember about NZ off the top of my head.

Trazzletoes · 03/07/2015 08:07

What are you on bonkers?!!!!!!

Nolim · 03/07/2015 08:14

Unless he is here for his entire working life he is not going to contribute as much.
Wtf bonkers.

ASettlerOfCatan · 03/07/2015 08:14

Yanbu. You have paid taxes for years same as many othersm I think these kind of crazy fees just mean we will have more people NOT paying and NOT being properly registered. The current system simply penalises good honest citizens imo.

sanfairyanne · 03/07/2015 08:16

your situation does sound unfair. i agree with eg international students paying/buying private insurance though. even in canada, internat students have to get insurance (or used to anyway)

Trazzletoes · 03/07/2015 08:18

Settler you can't not pay. If you are in a category that requires payment and you don't pay, your visa gets refused.

DrSethHazlittMD · 03/07/2015 08:30

I'm 41 and paid tax through working since I was 18. In that time, I have visited my GP probably no more than the fingers on one hand and visited A&E once with a broken wrist. I've probably put in far more than I have taken out in that time. Similarly, my taxes go to pay for things like school education and a certain number of free nursery hours (I believe). Your 18-month-old child will no doubt benefit from this, but I have no children.

Should I therefore be able to claim a rebate?

YABU

Degustibusnonestdisputandem · 03/07/2015 08:31

Just checked, Australian and NZ citizens don't have to pay the surcharge (am guessing due to reciprocal health agreements).

TheChandler · 03/07/2015 08:32

MrsTerryPratchet etc The idea that tax-paying, law abiding, hardworking people, who contribute to the country should fuck off if they don't agree with every aspect of every part of the country they are in is weird. I've been in Canada for almost ten years and I think I'm entitled to an opinion. I think Mr and Mrs Alaska are about the UK.

I didn't use the words "fuck off" - I simply pointed out that if it annoys you that much, there is nothing to stop you living in a country which doesn't have such charges. It will also probably have a private health care, insurance based system that you contribute to personally. Plenty of those about. I've lived in five different countries, aspects of Scotland annoy me so I don't live there any more. Whats "weird" about that - its not the dark ages where it took weeks to travel abroad, living and working abroad is perfectly normal. And to be honest, the OP's DH has had 15 years mainly living in Britain in which to plan his life.

I also wouldn't choose to live in the US, because I don't like their organisation. If I did move there and found many aspects to complain about, I think it would be a valid criticism by its citizens that perhaps it wasn't the best idea for me to live there!

The NHS is a pretty major part of British society, I also prefer the insurance backed system in the country I now live in.

TTWK · 03/07/2015 08:32

There's a reason it's called the National Health Service and not the International Health Service.

sashh · 03/07/2015 08:34

Yes it is unfair.

It is unfair that some people have to have a visa to live/work/study in the UK and virtually anyone born here doesn't.

It's unfair that children get free prescriptions when they have paid nothing in to the system.

It's unfair that pensioners, who may also have not paid anything in, get free prescriptions and a pension.

I personally know two international students who have had babies while in the UK, I'm sure their births cost more than £500.

And OP if you were male and your husband female he would have had the benefit of more than £500 for giving birth.

It could be argued that had you not met your dh you would not have given birth and therefore him being a father has cost more than £500.

Whilst your dh as an individual may not have used the NHS more than a British citizen many immigrants do cost the NHS more.

TB is on the increase, the majority of cases are in immigrants who have been in the UK for over 2 years.

Some interesting reading here www.migrationobservatory.ox.ac.uk/briefings/health-migrants-uk-what-do-we-know

Degustibusnonestdisputandem · 03/07/2015 08:35

I'm a nasty foreigner that gave birth to twins via c section on the NHS, so obviously I should be shot. WinkHmm

PtolemysNeedle · 03/07/2015 08:38

YANBU.

Your family contributes and if your DH as an individual pays income tax and NI, he should be entitled to care on the NHS. He pays a lot more than some working age British people, and the charges should only be applied to tourists and people who don't pay taxes here IMO.

Crocodopolis · 03/07/2015 08:39

WW, good point.

Nolim, I said nothing about "opting out". Please read carefully before correcting me.

Kampeki, thank you for pointing out what others pointed out before you. Very helpful, in case I didn't get the message the first two times.

Nolim · 03/07/2015 08:44

It is unfair that some people have to have a visa to live/work/study in the UK and virtually anyone born here doesn't.

I want to point out that the uk does not grant birthright citizenship.

SayThisOnlyOnce · 03/07/2015 08:45

Sometimes I am embarrassed to be British.

Mr Alaska, Degustibus, and any other of 'you forriners' Wink:

You are welcome to this country
Thank you for living here and being part of the community
Thank you for paying tax and doing your job
Thank you for having/raising children here
Please don't think we're all like some of the negative people on this thread

Nolim · 03/07/2015 08:47

Croc i am sorry if i missunderstood. You mentioned an option as if one could chose one and not the other effectively opting out of the later.
Glad you got the messsge.

Tuskerfull · 03/07/2015 08:49

I don't get this. My husband has been here six years and never had to pay an NHS surcharge. He's had two GP appointments and a trip to A&E after our car accident, and was never charged anything. He now has ILR but not citizenship, yet.

Nolim · 03/07/2015 08:51

The surcharge apply to those applying or renewing visas i believe but i could be wrong. If your dh has irl he does not have to apply for a visa.

Tuskerfull · 03/07/2015 08:56

Ah, so it's only if you need treatment while your application is in progress? He only got ILR a year ago. One more extortionate payment for citizenship and we can relax!

Degustibusnonestdisputandem · 03/07/2015 09:08

Thanks SayThisOnlyOnce Grin

Being Australian the worst it gets for me are convict jokes and ribbing about the cricket!

maybebabybee · 03/07/2015 09:12

YANBU but welcome to the current climate unfortunately - ties into the whole anti-immigration rhetoric the tories are spinning.

Will he apply for British citizenship? Or dual? Sorry if this has already been answered upthread, I'm on my phone and can't RTFT.