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Homes for Ukraine - Sponsor someone

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The Government has launched a sponsorship scheme, Homes for Ukraine, so that Ukrainians forced to flee their homes have a route to safety, by matching people and organisations to Ukrainians who do not have family ties to the UK.

Sponsors provide homes or a spare room rent-free for as long as they are able, with a minimum stay of 6 months. In return, they will receive £350 per month which is paid after DBS checks are complete. Council tax discounts will not be affected if you sponsor and host a Ukrainian household in your home. There is no limit or cap for sponsorship.

Ukrainians arriving in the UK under this scheme will be granted 3 years leave to remain, with entitlement to work and access to benefits and public services.

Sponsor someone

Once registered, the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities will progress this with you to the next stages. Eligibility criteria applies.

Sponsor someone

We will carry out suitability checks once you have registered. We will be in touch with you to arrange these.

If you have a family member fleeing Ukraine, you do not need to register an interest as a sponsor and can apply under Ukraine Family Scheme visa instead.

Apply for a Ukraine Family Scheme visa

Ukrainians looking for a sponsor

For support and information visit:

Visas

A high number of visa applications are being processed by the Home Office.

We can't help with queries about specific visa applications as local councils are not best-placed to deal with these enquiries, and do not have capacity to respond to these in volume. We recommend that you contact UK Visas and Immigration on 0808 164 8810 or +44 175 390 7510 if outside the UK.

Home checks

We are notified by the government that a home visit is needed when a sponsor is matched with a guest. A council officer will then contact you directly as we assess host properties and carry out Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks on hosts (enhanced checks where the host and guest are living in the same property together, and basic checks for hosts who are living in a separate property to the guest).

Our visits

We have arranged visits to over 205 properties, with the number increasing daily. We are prioritising properties where we know Ukrainian refugees have already arrived. 

Suitable home

All accommodation is different and while there is no set expectation, you should make sure your home is safe for your guests and that it is in a suitable condition.

Consider how many people you can accommodate so they have enough space.

Two people should share one room unless they are:

  • adult cohabiting partners
  • a parent and child
  • two siblings of the same gender if aged over 10
  • two siblings regardless of gender if aged under 10

Individuals who didn’t previously know each other should not be given the same room.

Accommodation should:

  • be kept clean and in a reasonable state
  • have adequate kitchen and bathroom space
  • have access to drinking water
  • have a working smoke detector on each floor of the property and other fire safety precautions suitable for the building (e.g. fire doors or escape routes as appropriate)
  • have a working carbon monoxide detector in any room containing a solid fuel burning appliance (e.g. a coal fire, wood burning stove)
  • have enough heating to keep the property at a comfortable temperature
  • have safe gas appliances, fittings and flues and have undertaken a gas safety check within the last year
  • have safe and working electrics, which a qualified electrician can help with if you are unsure
  • be free of damp or mould
  • have doors and windows at entry level that lock properly
  • be easy and safe to move around in, without excessively steep staircases that may cause harm

Guests reaching you

If you are unable to meet your guest, you should provide them with instructions on how to reach you from their chosen point of arrival.

Your guests will be eligible for a single onward journey via national rail, light rail, bus and coach, free of charge to their destination. They will only need to show their Ukrainian passport and boarding pass or ticket showing arrival into the country within the last 48 hours.

Arrival

Once your guest has arrived, they will receive a £200 support payment.  Please email us at [email protected] and we will arrange this for you. This will help until access to benefits and work entitlement is arranged.

We will support the household over the first 12 months and help with access to services and integration into UK systems and processes.

Last updated 21 July 2022