When you have sponsored for 6 months: Homes for Ukraine
Information about next steps when you have sponsored a guest for 6 months.
This guidance is in addition to the information and guidance provided by your local council.
We encourage you to talk to your guest 4 months after their arrival in the UK, about the options for their next steps, including:
- continuing sponsorship
- finding your guest a new host (rematching)
- renting private accommodation
- contacting your local council for alternative accommodation
Whatever you decide to do at the 6-month point, tell your local council 2 months before. It will make it easier for them to offer support if your guest is moving on or to continue make the thank you payments if you continue to host. You should continue to keep the council informed, especially if anything changes after this point. You can search for your local council.
Continuing sponsorship
If you are able to continue sponsoring for longer than 6 months that is brilliant. We ask everyone who is hosting guests, particularly those coming up to their fourth month of sponsoring, to continue hosting their guests until they are ready to move on, where that is possible.
You will receive £350 a month during the first 12 months of your guests’ stay. This increases to £500 once your guest has been in the UK for 12 months in order to help sponsors who are able to continue for the duration of a guest’s Homes for Ukraine visa permission (which is up to 36 months and up to 18 months for guests on the new 18 month Homes for Ukraine visa (which came into effect on 19 February 2024).
If you arrange to host a guest without the agreement of the local council then you won’t be able to claim the thank you payment, because this is outside of the Homes for Ukraine Scheme.
However, we understand that not everyone can continue to offer accommodation after 6 months and guests might want to find their own accommodation. Where that is the case, we encourage you to work with your guests to develop a plan for how they will move on.
Finding a new host (rematching)
If your guests are not ready to leave sponsorship and move into their own alternative accommodation, but you can no longer accommodate them, they may want to find a new host.
You could help your guests to find a new host, for example through:
- someone that you already know
- a recognised provider
- local faith groups
- community groups
- charities
- other organisations
The local council may also be able to help them find a new host.
Once your guests have found a new host, it is very important that they contact the local council so they can make the necessary checks, and to approve the arrangement. You can search for the local council. This should happen before they move in with a new host.
The new host will then be eligible for the thank you payment of £350 per month for the first 12 months. Once the guest has been in the country for 12 months, the host will be eligible for a thank you payment of £500 for the duration of a guest’s Homes for Ukraine visa permission (which is up to 36 months and up to 18 months for guests on the new 18 month Homes for Ukraine visa (which came into effect on 19 February 2024). There can only be one payment per residential address and in England it will be administered through your council.
If they want to move to another area of the UK, they must tell the local council before moving. The current council will then contact the council in the new area they want to move to, so they can make any necessary checks and can confirm the new living arrangements are suitable. If they do not do this, the guest could be at risk and the new host will not be entitled to the ‘thank you’ payment.
If your current guests move out, you can host another guest and receive the monthly thank you payment.
You can find out more information if you sponsor a child living in the UK without a parent or legal guardian, as there is a separate process for rematching children.
Renting private accommodation
There is high demand for private rental accommodation and social housing. Some councils are using the funding they have received from the government to facilitate access to private rented accommodation for their Ukrainian guests – offering, for instance, 12 month rent guarantees or paying rent in advance. If your guests are ready to rent but are facing challenges getting into the PRS, they should contact the council to understand what schemes and offers of support are available in your area. You can search for the local council.
As a sponsorship comes to an end, you might want to talk with your guest about moving to a more formal arrangement, if your guest would still like to live in your property or move to another property that you own. This would mean that you may need to become a landlord, which could require you to take on more responsibilities. Your rights and responsibilities could be different depending on whether the guest remains living in your property or moves into another property you own.
Information on what this means is available in the how to let in England guide , as well as on gov.uk:
This will help guests when they are ready and able to move out of sponsorship into independent accommodation. This guide is now available in Ukrainian and Russian.
If guests are considering renting their own accommodation, they can read more information about their rights and responsibilities as a tenant.
There is also Information about renting in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Contacting your local council for alternative accommodation
If your guest can’t take advantage of any of the options above and you are concerned about where they will live after your sponsorship ends, contact your local council.
We have made arrivals from Ukraine under one of the government’s schemes eligible for housing assistance from day one of their arrival. There is high demand for social housing in most parts of the country and so even those with priority for social housing may have to wait for some time before a home which meets their needs becomes available.
Last updated 19 February 2024 + show all updates
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Guidance has been updated following changes to the Homes for Ukraine Immigration Rules on 19 February 2024.
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Updated to show that the thank you payment is now payable for up to 3 years after the guest arrives.
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First published.