# Mandatory Health Insurance

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mandatory-health-insurance/992037>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [October 24, 2023, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mandatory-health-insurance/992037 "2023-10-24T21:21:31Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\
**Post date:** [October 26, 2023, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mandatory-health-insurance/992037/21 "2023-10-26T16:43:03Z")

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> [@Persimmon](#):
>
> Do you know why unemployed people have to pay more or the same amount into mandatory health insurance (NHS) than people who are employed?

They don’t.

For most people, PAYE income tax includes a Personal Allowance of £12,570. NI, which is income tax calculated differently would not be payable either on an income that low.

Current Job Seeker’s Allowance (Unemployment Benefit) is around a third of that.

Of course, the system is complicated and it is hard to quote generation, but unemployed people who don’t have another income will pay no tax at all.

As a retired person with a couple of pensions, I do pay tax and I am happy to do so.

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