Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the support available to Homes for Ukraine hosts where sponsorship arrangements continue for substantially longer than originally anticipated.

The Government greatly appreciates the continued generosity of sponsors/hosts supporting Ukrainian guests.

Sponsors/hosts of Homes for Ukraine guests are eligible for a thank you payment of £350 a month for the duration of a guests’ Homes for Ukraine visa period and for 18-months of the Ukraine Permission Extension (UPE) scheme visa period.

The extension of thank you payments for 18-months of UPE provides time for guests and sponsors/hosts to plan for next steps, including securing independent accommodation if needed. Alternatively sponsors/hosts and guests may want to consider converting to a lodging arrangement and making use of the Government’s Rent a Room scheme. Where sponsors/hosts charge rent, they will not be eligible to receive a thank you payment.

Councils receive a tariff of £5,900 per Homes for Ukraine arrival in their area to support guests to rebuild their lives and fully integrate into communities. We publish funding allocation data each quarter, which is broken down by local authority on gov.uk here.

Councils have the flexibility to use the funding to support guests, sponsors and hosts as best suits the local area. This could include measures to support guests to access employment, English language provision and provide integration measures that support Ukrainians to access private rented accommodation.

As councils remain responsible for fulfilling their statutory homelessness and welfare duties to all residents, they are the primary point of support where accommodation or wider assistance is required, and are funded accordingly.

We continue to engage closely with councils and the voluntary and community sector to ensure that we understand the needs of Ukrainians living in the UK and that adequate support is available.

Our Homes for Ukraine Equality Impact Assessment was updated to reflect MHCLG policy changes. Potential environmental and all other impacts of the policy were also considered.