Information for Sponsors

Become a sponsor

If you would like to become a sponsor as part of the ‘Homes for Ukraine’ scheme, please visit the Homes for Ukraine website (external link) to register your interest. You will receive updates on the scheme after registering on the website.

Can I be a sponsor?

Individual sponsors in the UK can be of any nationality, with any immigration status, providing they have at least 6 months’ leave to remain in the UK, so that they can provide at least six months’ accommodation. They can live in any part of the UK.

To ensure a safe and suitable environment for people arriving from Ukraine, checks will be carried out (background and in-person) on you as a sponsor, your family and the accommodation that you will provide. For example, the accommodation should be safe and free from health hazards, be heated and give your guests adequate access to bathroom and kitchen facilities. Checks will also take place on those arriving from Ukraine.

Someone is eligible for the scheme if they are a Ukrainian national (or an immediate family member of one) and were resident in Ukraine prior to 1 January 2022.

The scheme will welcome as many arrivals as possible, based on the number of sponsors.

People arriving under this scheme will be able to:

  • Live and work in the UK for up to three years
  • Access healthcare, benefits, employment support, education, and English language tuition

Please note that, as no rent is payable for accommodation under the scheme, therefore there is no requirement for a HMO license. We will also undertake DBS checks on all adults over the age of 16 in the sponsor household. In households where there are incoming arrivals who are children and/or vulnerable adults, an enhanced DBS check with barred lists check will be required for all adults in the sponsor household.

Will I receive a payment to host a Ukrainian resident or family?

Sponsors will be eligible for an optional ‘thank you payment’ of £350 per month, as long as the sponsorship arrangement exists, for up to 12 months in total.

There will be a maximum of one monthly payment per address paid in arrears, regardless of the number of guests being hosted, and regardless of the size or location of the property. Payments will be administered by the council and will not be released to sponsors until property checks have been completed. Further guidance on property checks will follow in due course. This payment will be tax-free and should not affect the sponsor’s entitlement to benefits or council tax status.

If you have any enquiries or questions, you can email us at homesforukraine@haringey.gov.uk

For more information on the scheme, please visit Homes for Ukraine scheme - frequently asked questions (external link).

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What do I need to do to make sure my home is suitable for my guest?

All accommodation will be different and while there is no set expectation, your accommodation needs to be free from serious health and safety hazards.

You should make sure your home is safe for your guests and that it is in a suitable condition. You should also consider how many people you can accommodate so they have sufficient space.

Two people should not be in 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.

Further to this we ask that accommodation:

  • 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, eg fire doors or escape routes as appropriate - see further information on making a home safe from fire on GOV.UK (external link)
  • have a working carbon monoxide detector in any room containing a solid fuel burning appliance - eg a coal fire, wood-burning stove etc.
  • have sufficient 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 - see more information on the HSE website (external link)
  • have safe and working electrics, which a qualified electrician can help with if you are unsure
  • be almost entirely 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

Reset Communities 

We are aware that some individuals or families who have registered on the Government website to become a Sponsor, haven’t always been matched with a Ukrainian family or an individual. If you still want to become a Sponsor, you can also register with Reset Communities and Refugees, which is a charity leading UK community sponsorship since 2018.

The charity will bring together sponsors and refugees and assess their eligibility and suitability for the scheme. It will also provide training and advice to the sponsors and community groups. For more information, please visit Homes for Ukraine (external link).

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Updated guidance – post 6 months sponsorship

Continuing sponsorship

Many hosts are choosing to continue to sponsor their guests for as long as they can. Where that is not possible, we ask hosts to inform us 2 months before a sponsorship arrangement ends. You can do so by emailing us at homesforukraine@haringey.gov.uk. Until we are notified by you and your guest/s, we will continue to pay the £350 thank you payment in line with the guidance.

Finding new hosts

Guests on the Homes for Ukraine scheme who are not ready to leave sponsorship and move into their own alternative accommodation, but can’t stay with their current host, should try to find a new host. We will encourage guests who would like a new host to find the new host for themselves. We have offered guidance to guests about how to do this. If a guest requests a move to a different area of the UK, they should inform us in advance.

New hosts who choose to sponsor a guest will be eligible to receive the monthly £350 thank you payment once they have had the necessary safeguarding and accommodation checks.

Guests are encouraged to get in touch with our team to tell us that their current stay is ending, 2 months before the end of their stay. If they are finding it difficult to find a new host themselves, they may also get in touch with us for help to find a new host for a further 6-month stay.

Depending on how a guest finds a new host, we will ensure the following:

  • Making the relevant checks and approving new hosts that guests have already found
  • Helping guests to find a new host, either through the Expression of Interest (EOI) list or other pools of hosts known to us
  • Directing guests to third-party organisations, for example local charities or community groups, who can help find a new host 

To increase the pool of available hosts, we will be asking individuals who are willing to host a guest for a minimum of 6 months to register their interest at homesforukraine@haringey.gov.uk.

Renting private accommodation

If guests are considering renting private accommodation, we are directing them to guidance on their rights and responsibilities as tenants (external link). There is a published guide to help guests understand how to rent in England (external link). 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 (external link) and Russian (external link). You will want to direct guests to this guidance as a starting point.

Due to the extremely limited supply of housing in London, it is unlikely that alternative accommodation either via hosts or in the private sector will be in the same area as the guests are currently in and this may mean a change of school, GP etc. We will be able to support households with transfers of education and/or healthcare.

Contacting Haringey Council for alternative accommodation

Some guests will be unable to take advantage of any of the options set out above. We’re encouraging guests and their hosts to discuss their options with our team.
You can email us at homesforukraine@haringey.gov.uk or visit one of our Welcome Hubs.

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Donate

Donations of items such as clothes, food or medical supplies to be sent to Ukraine or neighbouring countries are not currently being encouraged.

Although these kind offers are really appreciated, and it's understood that not everyone is in a position to give money right now, it is the quickest way to get the right kind of support to people on the ground.

You can donate money through the following routes:

Before donating to organisations, it’s worth taking a few steps to make sure you’re giving to a legitimate organisation:

  • Donating is your choice, you should never feel pressured to give
  • Do some research on the organisation - a simple Google search should give a good feel for how well established the organisation is and what it does
  • If it’s a charity you can look them up on the Charity Commission website (external link)

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Sign up to receive our sponsor newsletter

Sign up for our newsletter to receive all the latest news:

Sign up for the Homes for Ukraine newsletter

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Page last updated:

October 27, 2022