Home Secretary asked to include social care in review of immigration health surcharge

Today, along with CCPS,  The Health & Social Care Alliance and Scottish Care we wrote to the Home Secretary, the Rt Hon Priti Patel MP, asking her to include the social care sector when she reviews the Immigration Health Surcharge.

We welcome the Home Secretary’s announcement that the payment of the Immigration Health Surcharge for healthcare workers who have come to the UK, and are fighting the coronavirus pandemic, is under review.  However, we believe that staff in the social care sector, including international volunteers, should be afforded the same consideration as NHS staff.

Young volunteers committed to helping out during coronavirus

Camphill communities in Scotland look after around 600 people with learning disabilities and other support needs. There are currently around 251 international volunteers in Scotland living in Camphill communities, many of whom are young students who will volunteer within their host Camphill community for about a year.

With the outbreak of Covid-19 many of Camphill international volunteers received advice to return home from their families, from their governments and from the volunteer agencies which support their placements at Camphill. Despite this, the vast majority of Camphill international volunteers decided to stay, and to help their host community during this crises. The main reasons given by these volunteers for staying was their commitment to their host Camphill community, and to the people with learning disabilities and other needs that they help to support.

Further information

• Read our letter to the Home Secretary
• Thanks to CCPS, The Health & Social Care Alliance and Scottish Care for supporting the call to include social care workers in the review of the immigration health surcharge.
• Contact our Policy and Engagement Manager Robert McGeachy for more information.