Asylum seekers handed almost one million NHS ‘free passes'

Telegraph

01-08-2025

Almost one million NHS 'free passes' have been given out to asylum seekers in the last five years.
The HC2 certificates give low-income residents the right to freebies not afforded to most of the public, including free prescriptions, dental care, eye tests, wigs, and discounts for glasses, contact lenses, and travelling to and from appointments.
But new data released by the NHS Business Services Authority under freedom of information laws, reveal that the majority – 59 per cent – of the 1.56 million issued across the UK in the last five years, 920,199 were awarded to asylum seekers.
Chris Philp, the shadow home secretary, said the figures 'are another illustration of the costs of illegal immigration '.
'Those crossing the Channel invariably claim asylum, and then receive housing, bills paid, free money and full healthcare – despite never having paid a penny in tax and having entered the country illegally,' he said. 'No wonder illegal immigrants from across Europe are flocking to the UK.'
Anyone can apply for the NHS low-income scheme to get a HC2 certificate regardless of their immigration status, as long as they can demonstrate they have low or no income.
Asylum seekers are automatically given a HC2 certificate if they are eligible for 'section 95 support' under the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999, which means they are entitled to claim financial and housing assistance.
Other migrants claiming asylum are able to apply for it, depending on the levels of support they are receiving.
Steve Barclay, the former health secretary, said it was ' an abuse of taxpayer funds ' and 'completely wrong that asylum seekers are receiving beneficial access to health treatment compared to the taxpayers who fund it'.
The certificate provides 'full help with health costs', such as unlimited dental care and prescriptions, vouchers worth up to £233 to spend on glasses, as well as refunds on any travel costs to hospital appointments.
Asylum seekers must renew their certificates every six months, rather than the 12 months that applies to other UK residents, making it hard to know the exact number of people claiming.
'Unbalanced and unfair'
Dr Sean Phillips, head of health at the Policy Exchange think tank, said the numbers 'just beg the question: who is the NHS for?
'When we recall, asylum seekers make up less than 1 per cent of the total population – for the majority of HC2 certificates to be issued to this group feels completely unbalanced, even unfair, given the levels of hardship felt more widely across the country,' he said.
There have been 317,000 claims for asylum from migrants within the UK over the same period, which is double the number in the previous five years, between 2015 and 2019.
New data released on Thursday revealed that 25,000 migrants had crossed the English Channel on small boats in 2025, hitting the milestone earlier in the year than ever before.
Many migrants who arrive in the UK then seek asylum while housed in hotels, bed and breakfasts or other temporary accommodation on taxpayer expense. They are then able to get the full cost of their healthcare needs covered by British taxpayers.
While there are no public figures available on the average cost to the taxpayer, it is easy to see how quickly it might rack up.
The cost of a prescription for a British resident is £9.90 if they have no other exemption, while the most basic NHS dentist check-up is £27.40 for those able to find a practice taking on NHS patients, and that's before the costs of any treatments – which often reach hundreds of pounds – are factored in.
A simple NHS eye test costs £23.55, while glasses or contact lenses are also likely to cost hundreds depending on the patient's prescription.
Wigs and fabric supports, which can be given to patients with hair loss as a result of alopecia or cancer treatment, can cost in excess of £300.
Anyone with an HC2 form can also get free care for their partner and children or dependents up to the age of 18.
Even if circumstances change, people are able to continue using the certificates to get all costs covered until it expires.
Mr Barclay, who is the Conservative MP for North East Cambridgeshire, said it also 'completely directly undermines our democracy given previous health ministers made clear this practice was an abuse of the rules'.
He added: 'It is outrageous that some health bosses are pushing their own Left-wing political agenda, wasting taxpayer funds, and reducing the funds available for treating local residents, and that NHS England, who is operationally responsible for these services, is once again failing to do its job.
'The Health Select Committee should summon those responsible for these programmes before Parliament to hold them to account for this abuse of taxpayer funds.'
An NHS spokesman said: 'The NHS is legally required to provide healthcare services to asylum seekers, including access to help with health costs through the NHS Low Income Scheme.'