Additional Sponsorship Payments for Ukrainian Host Families

Published on: 3 Nov, 2022
Updated on: 7 Nov, 2022

The “Homes for Ukraine” scheme has agreed an additional thank you payment, to be paid monthly to host families from end of November 2022 to March 2023. The county council and local district and borough councils are managing the scheme in Surrey.

The additional funding acknowledges that the financial circumstances faced by host families in Surrey, who welcomed Ukrainians into their homes, will have changed from the time they agreed to host Ukrainian families to our current economic situation in the UK.

The government plan was for Ukrainians to either rent their own homes or “rematch” with other hosts. But local authorities responsible for overseeing the scheme say they are struggling to find people to take in the refugees.

Olha, one of the 500 Ukrainian refugees in Guildford

The District Councils Network, which represents 183, mostly rural, local authorities, said that it had received many reports of hosts deciding not to rematch. In August there was said to be about 500 Ukrainian refugees in Guildford borough.

Currently, host families are paid £350 a month for being sponsors, this payment will be increased by £250 to £600 a month from the end of this month. This is to compensate for the rise in energy, food and fuel bills in this cost-of-living crisis band applies to existing hosts who are already in receipt of thank you payments, and new hosts who complete all the checks satisfactorily going forward.

The funding comes from DLUHC via the County Council to the district and borough councils to pay the sponsors directly once they have passed all the relevant housing, DBS and safeguarding checks.

Surrey County Council leader Cllr Tim Oliver said: “We are forever grateful for the unerring warm welcome and support that communities, charities, and district and boroughs continue to offer our Ukrainian guests here in Surrey. But in particular to those sponsor families who have opened their homes up to welcome Ukrainian families to live alongside them and their families.

“As if this sacrifice were not enough, we now need to ensure that they are not being penalised financially and can continue to offer support as sponsors in this current economic climate.

“Unfortunately, the conflict in Ukraine continues and so there is still a need for host families. SCC has taken the decision to increase the thank you payments after fears many people wouldn’t be able to afford to extend their current six-month agreements as winter approaches and the cost-of-living bites.”

Could you become a host family?

We do not have enough new hosts to cope with the ongoing demand. We are increasing payments to thank people, to recognise the increased cost of living, to encourage more hosts to come forward, but also to incentivise people to return to hosting, if they previously stopped due to financial hardship or concerns about increased household costs in the months ahead.

If you have any questions about the Homes for Ukraine scheme, visit the Homes for Ukraine page on GOV.UK

For further details on thank you payments for host families on the Homes For Ukraine Scheme in Surrey visit I wish to offer support during the Ukrainian crisis – Surrey County Council (surreycc.gov.uk)