Advice for hosts matched with Ukrainian guests

This guidance explains what options and support are available to you when you have sponsored guests for 6 months.

We are required to check hosts' accommodation is safe and there are no health and safety issues.

To carry out these checks we will visit the property and this is what you can expect on the day:

• Officer identification - the officer visiting the property will have official photo identification with them. You can always call us on 01883 722000 to verify their identification. The officer will not ask for any payment or financial information.
• Length of visit - the visit will take around an hour, but it does depend on the size of your property.
• Access to the property - we will need to see the whole property. However, we are particularly interested in seeing the main shared living areas and the rooms being used by the Ukrainian guests such as, bathrooms, kitchen, living rooms and bedrooms. If more areas need to be seen, then we will explain this to you and record it on the paperwork.
• Amenities – we will want to see the property has a bathroom and kitchen which is in good order and able to meet the households needs. If we identify any improvements, we will discuss this with you.
• Fire safety - smoke alarms are required on each level of the property. You will need to show they are working properly. For further information on safety in the home.
• Carbon Monoxide - if you have an open flue appliance, such as a log burner or an open fire then a carbon monoxide detector is needed and we will want to see it.
• Low windows (risk of falls from above ground floor height) - this is about the safety of small children and we will look at the windows and advise you if safety devices need to be fitted.
• Electrical safety - an electrical test certificate is not needed unless a significant safety issue is found. We will check some power points in the bedrooms and other shared living areas to make sure they work safely and we may take a photograph of the property fuse box/consumer unit.
• Room sizes and occupancy – we will check to ensure the bedroom/s are suitable for your guests, for example:
  • 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 10 and over, two siblings of any gender if under the age of 10.
  • Individuals who do not know each other should not be given the same room.
• Animals - please let us know before we visit if you have any licensable animals (such as a dangerous wild animal) on the property. We may ask you about any animals you have, their behaviour and how they are safely managed in the home. We have information if your guests are bringing their pet with them.

After the visit

We will let you know if the checks are successful, or if anything else needs to be done to the property before it can be a home for your Ukrainian guests too.

You are not obliged to carry out any work to the property and if you decide not to we may have to remove you from the sponsor register which means you won't be able to provide a home for Ukrainians.

Once your guests have arrived

We will contact you regularly and visit while your Ukrainian guests are staying with you to check there are no issues.

Everyone aged 16 years and over in your home must have a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) background check to see if anyone has any criminal convictions. We will carry out the background check so please don't complete the form and make the payment independently as we cannot refund you and we will still need you to complete our process.

If your guests have children living with them, we will carry out an Enhanced DBS check (including a check of the children’s barred list), for all those who are 16 or over in your household who are not related to the guest.

We may ask for an Enhanced DBS check (including a check of the adults' barred list) to be done if an adult guest requires additional support due to age, disability or illness, which you as the host or any adult aged 16 or over in your household intends to provide.

Even if you already have a valid DBS certificate, we still need to complete our own check.

Formal identification process

You will receive an appointment to visit the Council Offices in Oxted to carry out the formal identification process. Each person (aged 16 and over) needs to bring three different forms of identification showing name, address and date of birth.

You can find out what documents you will need to bring and our opening hours.

Online DBS application form

Once the formal identification part of the DBS background checks has been completed, you can either complete the rest of the application during your appointment, or be sent a unique link by e-mail to complete the rest of the application at home.

Please contact us to confirm when you have received the results of your DBS check, which will be sent directly to you.

We may need to see your DBS certificate as part of the process and will let you know if that’s the case.

Once your Ukrainian guests' UK visa have been issued they are now able to enter the UK.

We do not recommend your guests travel to the UK and stay with you until the accommodation and background checks have been completed.

If your guests have already arrived, or you know their travel date please e-mail us with their arrival date.

We know how important keeping your personal data secure and safe is.

We only collect and keep personal information about you so we can manage the Homes for Ukraine scheme. We will only share your personal data with our partners Surrey County Council. For more information about our data protection policy.

Once all the checks have been completed and the guests have settled into their new home, as the host you are entitled to receive a monthly payment while they are staying with you.

In Surrey, we currently top thank you payments up to £600 per month.

Please bring your bank account details to your DBS appointment and we will set up the payment process.

Your guest needs to have been with you for more than half the month for you to be eligible for thank you payments for that month. If your guest moves out of your home for any reason, you must let us know by e-mailing ukraine@tandridge.gov.uk, as you will no longer be eligible for the monthly payments.

The following applies:

• For hosts who receive benefits, the government is ensuring thank you payments do not affect your benefit entitlement.
• Thank you payments will not affect any council tax discounts for single occupancy.
• The payments are tax free.

You must not charge rent if you are in receipt of thank you payments. Contact us if you'd like to discuss charging your guests rent instead of receiving thank you payments, or if you are considering asking your guests for a contribution towards household bills.

As of 1 October 2024, sponsors/hosts can no longer receive a thank you payment for hosting a close family member, or if a close family relationship is formed between host and guest. If a relationship is formed, you must let us know immediately.

Adults and children coming to the UK under the Homes for Ukraine scheme qualify for a £200 per person welcome payment. This is in the form of a payment card and can be collected by your Ukrainian guests from reception in the Council Offices in Oxted.

The card will come with a PIN number and can be used in shops and online. The money cannot be withdrawn from the card and the card cannot be used overseas.

Please make sure your guests make an appointment to collect their welcome payment cards, as we may not be able to issue the welcome payment if we are not expecting them. Your Ukrainian guests will need to bring their passport and visa with them to the appointment.

Companies making properties available to support the Homes for Ukraine scheme will be relieved from the Annual Tax on Enveloped Dwellings (ATED) and the 15% rise of Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT).

As a host, we would like you to please support and help your guests to adapt to life in the UK.

The first thing to do will be to make sure they are comfortable in their accommodation and setup with the basics. They should have enough food and essential supplies like toiletries and it’s worth checking they’ve got access to a mobile phone and the internet so they can stay in touch with family and friends. Further information can be found on the Government's website.

You should try to help direct your guests to public services. For example, this could involve helping them:

• Contact and register with a local GP.
• Contact and register with a NHS dentist.
• With School admissions information.
• Find out about getting free school meals. Children in reception, Year 1 and Year 2 automatically get free school meals. Children in Year 3 or above may be eligible for free school meals if the parent is receiving Universal Credit. Please contact your child's allocated school.
• Find out about free home to school travel.
• Get advice and support to find childcare from the Family Information Service.
• Find adult social care.
• Find mental health and emotional wellbeing support, for children and for adults.

Benefits

People fleeing Ukraine and arriving in the UK can claim Universal Credit immediately. They will also be eligible for:

• Child benefit. Anyone coming to the UK under the Ukraine Family Scheme or Homes for Ukraine scheme is entitled to claim child benefit immediately.
• Housing benefit.
• Pension credit.
• Personal independence payment.
• Child disability living allowance.
• Carers allowance.
• Attendance allowance.

Employment

Ukrainians arriving in the UK can also access jobs support immediately. The Department for Works and Pensions is putting together support through the Jobcentres to help people:

• Find work.
• Provide advice on benefit eligibility.
• Support them to claim benefits.

Council tax

Ukrainians with Homes for Ukraine visas are disregarded for council tax purposes. This means that if you receive a 25% discount for being the only adult in a property, you will continue to receive the discount if you're hosting Ukrainian guests under the Homes for Ukraine scheme.

If a guest or guests are living in a separate property from the hosts, for example another property the hosts own but do not live in, the guests will be responsible for the council tax. If all the residents have a Homes for Ukraine visa, they will receive a 50% discount. They may also be able to claim council tax support to help them pay for the remaining 50% of the bill.

Rail operators will provide Ukrainian guests with a single onward journey via national rail free of charge on arrival in Great Britain to their final destination.

They have 48 hours to make their onward journey. They only need to show a Ukrainian passport and a boarding pass or ticket showing arrival into the country within the last 48 hours.

All the information is on National Rail Enquiries.

The Government is working with the wider transport industry to see what else can be offered for evacuees arriving in the country.

This guide for Ukrainians arriving in the UK covers what you need to know in your first few days, getting used to life in the UK including how to find a home, access essential public services, healthcare, find work and childcare and education services.

The Animal and Plant Health Agency is providing quick licence approvals and quarantine arrangements to avoid creating additional burdens or delays.

The government will also be covering their vaccination, microchipping and quarantine costs, recognising many individuals from Ukraine will not have been able to complete the full health preparations required for their pet on arrival.

Before arrival, people leaving the Ukraine or their carrier should e-mail the Animal and Plant Health Agency or call +44 3000 200 301 option 2.

There is more information and guidance on the GOV.uk website.