Coming to the UK

Homes for Ukraine is a service by Reset, a charity that matches Ukrainian refugees with British sponsors.

They complete the visa process, (including the license applications for pets). They arrange temporary housing in Poland where required and then onward travel to the UK - all at the charity’s own cost.

Once Ukrainian nationals have arrived in the UK, Reset help set up:

• UK sim cards
• UK bank accounts
• local doctor (GP) registration
• National Insurance numbers through making an application
• school places for children
• English language lessons and more

Find out more on the Homes for Ukraine website or call 07970 030437

Charities mentioned below are also matching sponsors to people fleeing from Ukraine:

• Opora
• UK accommodation for Ukrainian refugees
• Sunflower Sisters Ukraine-UK
• Cambridge 4 Ukraine

If you want to host Ukrainians already in the UK, email HFUliaison@scambs.gov.uk

If you want to host or sponsor people from Ukraine, make sure to check the Government’s Homes for Ukraine guide which includes information on:

• how to meet the accommodation needs of guests
• what Ukrainian guests need to do before they travel to the UK and what to do after they arrive

A biometric residence permit (BRP) can be used to confirm your:

• identity
• right to study
• right to any public services or benefits you’re entitled to

You can apply for a BRP once you have arrived in the UK.

We’re contacting hosts within a couple of days of being given your contact information by the Home Office. Your contact information is given to us once hosts have been successfully 'matched' with guests.

When you receive information from us, please do not share it with anyone else. This includes (before your guests arrive):

• a first email sent to you to guide you on starting the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check for your household members
• arranging a visit to check your property's suitability for guests

We will then need you to notify us once your guests have arrived by contacting us. This triggers:

• the first £350 payment to your guests
• a Welfare Officer contacting you within a couple of weeks of your guests' arrival to arrange a visit, and to see if the situation is suitable for everyone

After the welfare check, you can start getting your monthly payment of £500. This is paid in arrears, starting the last week of the month of your welfare check.

If your guests stay with you for over 6 months, we will contact you to do a brief welfare visit at that point.

Information about how to notify us about all of the above will be sent to hosts direct by email. 

Payments to Hosts

Payments are available to help with the cost of hosting guests in your home.

In South Cambridgeshire, in response to the cost of living, we are paying £500 per month to all hosts from the very start of their hosting arrangements, once all essential safeguarding and accommodation checks have been undertaken. This payment is made automatically – there is no need to apply or opt-in to receive it.

The thank you payment is available for a maximum of up to 2 years after the guest arrives.

Intercultural awareness

It is worth remembering that people have different cultural norms, and sharing your home will not only provide lovely opportunities to learn about another culture, but also some possible challenges. 

Some things you may want to bear in mind are that people may have different diets (some preferred items may be found in Polish shops locally). They may only be used to drinking bottled water, may not be comfortable with 'small talk' such as about the weather, and they may not know about local recycling and waste.

We suggest asking your guests (while being mindful that people may have experienced significant trauma and, even if not, may not be comfortable being too open with a stranger) whether there is anything they need, and regularly checking back in with them about their comfort and needs. 

A company called Thrive LDN provides a useful guidance document to help guests look after their own well-being as they arrive.

Once Ukrainians guests arrive with their hosts, one of our Welfare Visitors will be in touch within the first 2 or 3 weeks to arrange to visit. This is to check-in, take any questions you may have, and chat through anything about hosting or arriving in the UK. Welfare visitors will spend time with hosts and guests separately to enable free conversation if needed.

Welfare Visitors will be able to point you towards places you can get support, local community groups and share common experiences of host/guest situations within South Cambridgeshire.

At around 6 months, the welfare visitors will contact you again to arrange another visit to check-in, and think about your future plans.

In the meantime, if you do have any questions, or need support or information from the welfare visitors, please feel free to contact them via hfuliaison@scambs.gov.uk