Immigration Health Surcharge to be waived for NHS and social care workers

It was only yesterday that government ministers were on the airwaves defending the principle of the NHS surcharge and saying that it would be terribly complicated to remove it selectively. That complexity — finding out who works in the health and social care sectors where immigration records may not hold that information — may be an excuse to delay implementation of the headline-grabbing announcement for some time to come.

The surcharge — not actually a payment for using the NHS but a tax on visas collected at the point of application — is currently £400 a year but is due to rise to £624 in October 2020.

Coronavirus: UK arrivals could face £1,000 fines if they break quarantine

Anyone arriving in the UK from abroad could be fined £1,000 if they fail to self-isolate for 14 days, the government is expected to announce.

Under the plans, health officials would be able to carry out spot checks to check whether people were complying.

The new rules, which will also apply to British people returning from abroad, are not expected to come into force until next month.

Home Secretary Priti Patel will give more details at the daily briefing.

As part of the plans, which are aimed at guarding against a second wave of coronavirus infections, all arrivals would be asked to fill in a form with their contact information.

Road hauliers and medical officials would be exempt, as well as those arriving from the Republic of Ireland.

However, people travelling from France will not be exempt, the government has previously confirmed, after it was initially suggested otherwise.

Any passengers arriving in the UK by plane, ferry or train would need to provide UK Border Force officials with an address where they will self-isolate, otherwise accommodation will be arranged by the government.