The government recently announced that the £350 ‘thank you’ payments paid to sponsors, will be extended from 12 months to a maximum duration of two years. The UK government will also increase the minimum ‘thank you’ payments for hosts from £350 per month to £500 per month, once a guest has been here in the UK for 12 months. This additional financial support is aimed at helping existing hosts to continue with their sponsorship, as well as new hosts who come forward to offer a home to a Ukrainian individual or family.
The Homes for Ukraine scheme has been a significant success and over 100,000 Ukrainian guests are now safe in the United Kingdom. 37,500 more have valid visas and may choose to travel to the United Kingdom if circumstances change.
Richard Fuller MP said:
Without the generosity of sponsors throughout places like North East Bedfordshire, we simply would not have been able to give shelter to so many of those in need.
This additional financial support is aimed at helping existing hosts to continue with their sponsorship, as well as new hosts who come forward to offer a home to a Ukrainian individual or family, including those re-matching with guests already in the country.
In cases where sponsorship can no longer continue, the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities will also provide £150 million of new UK-wide funding in the 2023 to 2024 financial year to local authorities and devolved governments to help support Ukrainian guests move into their own homes and reduce the risk of homelessness. Local authorities are best placed to understand the support needed for local communities and as is typically the case for various local authority funding, they will also be able to use this funding to support other people at risk of homelessness.
Th government is also launching a £500 million Local Authority Housing Fund, which will provide capital funding directly to English councils in areas that are facing the most significant housing pressures as a result of recent Ukrainian arrivals. The £500 million Local Authority Housing Fund can be used by councils in England to buy housing stock, build new homes, convert existing non-residential properties, and refurbish delipidated housing or empty homes into accommodation for families. Due to the unique challenges presented by the different groups this money will be used to target the specific needs of each cohort in a particular area.
If you want to register your interest in becoming a sponsor, please visit: https://www.gov.uk/register-interest-homes-ukraine
