Homes For Ukraine guidance

We encourage you to talk to your guest four months after their arrival in the UK, about the options for their next steps.

Whatever you decide to do at the six-month point, please inform the council two months beforehand. It will allow them to offer support if your guest is moving on or to make the thank you payments if you continue to host.

More details at: Homes for Ukraine: sponsor guidance (opens new window)

Continuing sponsorship

Many hosts want to continue with their sponsorship arrangement beyond six months. We are asking everyone who is hosting guests, but particularly those that are coming up to their fourth month of sponsoring, to consider hosting their guests for as long as you can.

Thank you payments to hosts are available for the first 12 months of a guests time in the UK. If you continue to host, you are eligible to receive thank you payments, for the remaining months that you host.

To support you, we have developed a list of links (opens new window) that show you what support is available from the voluntary sector, where you can find more guidance and help.

However we understand that not everyone can continue to offer accommodation after 6 months. Where that is the case, we encourage you to work with your guests to develop a plan for how they will move on.

If your sponsorship isn't working out or you want to end your sponsorship arrangement

If you are unable to continue your sponsorship arrangement beyond six months, you should give your guests two months' notice.

You must also tell your local council two months before a sponsorship arrangement ends, so that they can end the thank you payments you receive for hosting.

There is a separate process if your sponsorship isn't working out, or you are worried it is about to end, before 6 months has passed. In this instance you should contact your local council to make them aware as soon as possible, because they can help your guest to find a new host.

Finding a new host

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, or helping them find local groups that may be able to find them a new host.

If you are a new host and you choose to sponsor a guest from another host you will be eligible to receive the monthly £350 thank you payment, once the necessary safeguarding checks have been completed up to the end of the guest's first 12 months in the UK. The local council needs to be informed of any proposed new arrangement, so that the necessary checks can be carried out and the payments can be processed.

If your current guests move out, you can host another guest and receive the monthly £350 thank you payment.