Homes for Ukraine

We need to make sure the accommodation you are offering is safe and suitable, and that everyone in your household is willing to take part in the programme.

We must also carry out Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks on everyone in your household aged 16 or over. Enhanced DBS checks are required if the guests you will be hosting include children or vulnerable adults, as these checks reveal any police cautions or warnings.

Checks on your home are carried out by Two Generations, who support home sharing initiatives and are experienced at conducting accommodation checks. These checks are usually completed by video call, although an in‑person visit may be required in some cases.

DBS checks are made at the same time as the checks on your accommodation. Voluntary Action Harrow (VAH) processes your DBS checks under a licence agreement with CareCheck. The fees are covered by us.

Once you’ve applied to become a sponsor, we will ask you to contact VAH to start this process. They will confirm whether you need the basic or enhanced DBS check.

If you have any questions, you can contact VAH during Monday - Friday, 9am – 5pm:

• Telephone: 020886 15894 
• Email: dbs@voluntaryactionharrow.org.uk

All adults in your household will need an up-to-date DBS assessment before you’re able to host. An update to a previous DBS check can be obtained with a subscription to the DBS update service. Without this, a new assessment will have to be made.

You can expect an appointment within 48 hours of receiving confirmation of a match. Two Generations will aim to arrange their assessment meeting with you the following week. They will then decide on the suitability of your property the week after that. 

DBS checks run alongside your accommodation assessment but can take longer. 

Two Generations and Voluntary Action Harrow will contact you after their checks.

Yes, we can help with minor costs, including the fitting of smoke or carbon monoxide detectors. We can also help carry out gas safety checks to make your accommodation safe.

If checks highlight that more work is needed, you can claim the expenses on the Homes for Ukraine form.

If you need more significant work, you will have to pay for this yourself. You will be unable to continue with your application until any recommended work is completed.

You will receive £350 a month during the first 12 months of your guests’ stay. This will increase to £500 once your guest has been in the UK for 12 months. This payment is intended to help sponsors continue hosting for longer. 

You will need to complete the Homes for Ukraine form within 24 hours of your guests’ arrival. Once received, we aim to process payment within 10 working days. 

Further payments are made at the end of each month and will take 3 to 5 days to reach your bank account.  All the host checks must have been completed before a payment will be made.

If there is a delay in processing your payment, it will be backdated to the date of the guest’s arrival at your property.

We will visit the sponsor/guest at the property after the first six months. Ro-EE Hub will be in touch with your guest to arrange this. We will send a reminder letter to you one month in advance of the visit.
 

The thank-you payment is tax free and will not affect your entitlement to benefits.

You must get your landlord’s permission before joining the scheme. Two Generations will ask to see this when completing their accommodation check. Your tenancy agreement may include information about how long guests can stay.

Visa processing for Ukrainian refugees is carried out by the Home Office. The checks happen at the same time as our checks of accommodation and host families.

We have no control over visa processing and cannot influence the time it takes.

The Romanian and Eastern European Hub (Ro-EE) provides translation services for both sponsors and guests.

After you confirm your guest’s arrival, Ro-EE Hub will contact them to make appointment to visit their accommodation and will provide a copy of: Welcome to Harrow: A guide for Ukrainian citizens. 

If you or your guest have any queries, the Ro-EE Hub can be contacted  Monday - Friday, 9am – 5pm on 0203 833 1190, or via email at contact@ro-eehub.org.uk

The Harrow Law Centre offers legal advice related to visas and immigration status.

Reset is the UK’s Community Sponsorship learning hub. You’ll find helpful resources on their site, including a Sponsor’s Toolkit.

Thrive LDN, works to improve the mental health and wellbeing of Londoners. They have developed resources for displaced Ukrainians.

We have a list of organisations who can provide affordable furniture for your home. You can also contact Ro-EE Hub if you need furniture for your home and they may be able to assist you.

Since, January 2025 the Government has been urging anyone who uses a physical immigration document to transition to an eVisa.

All visa holders who live in the UK and use a physical immigration document, such as a Biometric Residence Permit (BRP), are urged to take action now at: Get access to your eVisa: Overview.

Guests should apply for an eVisa themselves. The process is straightforward and takes 10-15 minutes. More guidance is available at: GOV.UK/eVisa.

If you cannot apply for an e-Visa yourself, or if you struggle to speak English, you can contact Ro-EE Hub on 0203 833 1190 or 0203 984 4098 (Monday–Friday, 9am–5pm).

Applying for an eVisa is free. Be cautious of anyone offering paid help to complete the application.

In January 2025, the Government announced the UPES, which provides an 18-month visa extension for Ukrainian nationals and their family members, whose current visa is expiring. It is available to those who already hold permission under one of the Ukraine schemes. 

UPES applications are free of charge. Applicants must apply within 28 days of their current visa's expiry date. Late applications may result in loss of rights to rent, work, or claim benefits.

Applications can be made via the eVisa portal: Get access to your online immigration status (eVisa). 

Guests must notify us once they have made their UPES application by emailing ukraine.payments@harrow.gov.uk

For more information, please use the following links: 

• Guidance for sponsors: Homes for Ukraine: Ukraine Permission Extension scheme
• Guidance for guests: Homes for Ukraine: Ukraine Permission Extension scheme

Important Information for Sponsors:

• The London Borough of Harrow will continue to provide a £500 ‘thank you’ payments for sponsors after 6 months.
• Close family members are not eligible for thank-you payments under the UPES scheme. New payment applications for close family members will not be approved.
• Sponsors must ensure that their guests apply for UPES on time and must submit new payment applications if they wish to continue to receive thank-you payments via www.harrow.gov.uk/homesforukraine. 

For guidance on other visa types, applicants should seek immigration legal advice. You can find local immigration help at Adviser Finder.

For further assistance, contact The Romanian and Eastern European Hub on 020 3984 4098 or email contact@ro-eehub.org.uk

In January 2025, the government announced that parents or legal guardians with permission under any of the Ukraine Schemes can sponsor their child under Homes for Ukraine. Sponsored children will receive up to 18 months’ permission to stay and access education, healthcare, benefits and employment (where eligible). Parents or legal guardians sponsoring their own child will not receive thank you payments. See guidance on gov.uk

The UFS closed at 3pm on 19th February 2024. This scheme allowed Ukrainians to join their family in the UK. Those with existing UFS permission will retain the same permission. See guidance on gov.uk

The UES closed on the 16th May 2024. However, the scheme remains open for children who are born in the UK.