London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Jul 21, 2025

Homes for Ukraine: Quarter of refugee sponsors do not want to carry on

Homes for Ukraine: Quarter of refugee sponsors do not want to carry on

A quarter of sponsors of Ukrainians as part of the Homes for Ukraine scheme do not want to continue the arrangement beyond six months, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has found.

Launched in March, it has seen about 75,000 refugees arrive in the UK.

Sponsors agreed to provide accommodation in their own home for a minimum of six months.

But there are concerns at what will happen when those arrangements reach the end of that time.

The scheme was set up by the government to help those fleeing Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and worked alongside the Ukraine Family Scheme - which allowed refugees to join relatives already living in the UK.

An ONS survey of Homes for Ukraine hosts found 26% want to end their sponsorship after six months or less.

Six out of 10 sponsors said they were happy to accommodate their Ukrainian guests for more than the agreed minimum with almost a quarter saying they would be prepared to continue the arrangement for more than a year.

However, almost all sponsors said they had provided support and help to their guests that went beyond the official arrangement.

Eight out of 10 said they had given them food, two-thirds had helped them find work and 45% had provided financial support.

The ONS research also found that 18% of those signed up for the scheme were still waiting for guests to move in.


Of those who did not wish to accommodate Ukrainians for more than six months, just under a quarter said their decision was down to the rising cost of living.

Sponsors currently receive £350 a month but the survey found four in 10 might be prepared to host for longer if there was more financial help.

Maria Divid has been hosting a Ukrainian refugee since April and said she was "very happy" to host her guest for another six months.

The refugee, a woman from the Ukraine capital Kyiv, lives in Ms Divid's spare room in her London home.

"I'm originally from Russia and was devastated by the conflict, so I was very keen to counteract the consequences of the war in any way I could," she told BBC News.

She said being a sponsor had led to her bills going up but that was more than covered by the £350 she received each month from the government.

"My guest also buys her own food, so the costs are managed. But I can imagine for other households it could be more of an issue," she added.

Another Londoner, who asked not to be named, took in a single Ukrainian man into the home he shares with his wife.

But after three months the arrangement broke down.

The young man left their home and is now staying in free council housing for the remaining three months that he would have spent with his original hosts.

His sponsor said they had tried to help their guest settle with lots of chats and loans but it became challenging when he would not claim benefits or meet up with other Ukrainians in the UK.

"It meant there was a lot of pressure on us, apart from hosting him."

The young man also had mental health difficulties and was "understandably struggling with some issues,", his sponsor said, but there was no support for ending the scheme.

"What the government are asking from you is to provide a full social security system. As soon as there's any problem or confusion or challenge, there was nowhere to turn or no one to help," he added.


'Public goodwill'


The ONS surveyed all UK adults registered with the scheme as of 7 July, in collaboration with the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC), with 17,702 people responding.

Recent government figures show 145 placements have ended with Ukrainian refugees finding themselves homeless, 90 because the relationship broke down and 55 where the accommodation was deemed unsuitable before they moved in.

"We see a lot of generosity and goodwill in what hosts report doing for their guests," Tim Gibbs, from the ONS, said.

"The majority are still hosting and many indicate a willingness to host beyond the initial six months.

"However, we also see the additional work and expense involved in hosting with some saying more or ongoing support would be welcomed."

Refugees minister Lord Richard Harrington said the vast majority of sponsors wanted to provide support for longer than six months which was a "testament to the goodwill the British public has shown the people of Ukraine since tanks first rolled across the border".

Sponsors would continue to receive thank you payments for up to 12 months and the government is contacting hosts to outline the next steps and support available, he said.

"We initially asked sponsors to host for a minimum of six months and we are working closely with councils to ensure Ukrainians have a safe place to live if they decide to move on," Lord Harrington said.

There are concerns from councils about the number of hosts who say they do not want to continue with the scheme, and Local Government Association chairman James Jamieson said they were talking to the government about how they might be encouraged to do so.

"For instance, increasing the thank you payment to a higher amount so the sponsors can be sure it's not costing them," he said.

"There is a significant risk - even if re-matching is available - that many Ukrainian families may need to present as homeless because of a lack of sponsors or options."

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
Microsoft, US Lab to Use AI for Faster Nuclear Plant Licensing
Trump Walks Back Talk of Firing Fed Chair Jerome Powell
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Irish Tech Worker Detained 100 days by US Authorities for Overstaying Visa
Dimon Warns on Fed Independence as Trump Administration Eyes Powell’s Succession
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Jeff Bezos Considers Purchasing Condé Nast as a Wedding Gift
Ghislaine Maxwell Says She’s Ready to Testify Before Congress on Epstein’s Criminal Empire
Bal des Pompiers: A Celebration of Community and Firefighter Culture in France
FBI Chief Kash Patel Denies Resignation Speculations Amid Epstein List Controversy
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Google Secures Windsurf AI Coding Team in $2.4 Billion Licence Deal
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
South African Police Minister Suspended Amid Organised Crime Allegations
Nvidia CEO Claims Chinese Military Reluctance to Use US AI Technology
Hong Kong Advances Digital Asset Strategy to Address Economic Challenges
Australia Rules Out Pre‑commitment of Troops, Reinforces Defence Posture Amid US‑China Tensions
Martha Wells Says Humanity Still Far from True Artificial Intelligence
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
U.S. Resumes Deportations to Third Countries After Supreme Court Ruling
Excavation Begins at Site of Mass Grave for Children at Former Irish Institution
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
EU Delays Retaliatory Tariffs Amid New U.S. Threats on Imports
Trump Defends Attorney General Pam Bondi Amid Epstein Memo Backlash
Renault Shares Drop as CEO Luca de Meo Announces Departure Amid Reports of Move to Kering
Senior Aides for King Charles and Prince Harry Hold Secret Peace Summit
Anti‑Semitism ‘Normalised’ in Middle‑Class Britain, Says Commission Co‑Chair
King Charles Meets David Beckham at Chelsea Flower Show
If the Department is Really About Justice: Ghislaine Maxwell Should Be Freed Now
NYC Candidate Zohran Mamdani’s ‘Antifada’ Remarks Spark National Debate on Political Language and Economic Policy
×