PRESS RELEASE : Ukrainian families supported into own homes with £150m funding [June 2023]

Ukrainians in the UK will be helped into their own homes as part of a £150 million funding allocation.

The funding will be divided across the UK according to the number of Ukrainians in each nation: circa £109 million for England, circa £30 million for Scotland, circa £8 million for Wales and around £2 million to Northern Ireland.

Funding can be used by councils to help Ukrainian families into the private rental sector, help them get jobs, and continue sponsorship for guests’ second year in the UK.

Local authorities are best placed to understand the support needed for local communities and, within England, this funding will be used to help people remain in their current accommodation or find alternative housing, including in the private rented sector.

The Homes for Ukraine scheme has welcomed over 124,000 Ukrainians to the UK, with almost half of working-age nationals now in employment and settled into their local areas, having had the right to work, receive benefits and access public services from day one.

The Department for Transport has also announced it will extend the length of time Ukrainian refugees can drive in Great Britain on their home country driving licence, from 1 year to 3, in a move that will help many continue the lives and jobs they have forged since arriving here.

Minister for Housing and Homelessness, Felicity Buchan said:

The UK has an honourable tradition of offering shelter to those fleeing the horrors of war. Thanks to the extraordinary generosity of hosts in this country, over 124,000 Ukrainians have now found safety in the UK.

Sadly, the fighting in Ukraine shows no sign of ending soon, so we are appealing for more people to become hosts while providing councils with this additional funding to support guests into long-term housing.

Petro Rewko from The Association of Ukrainians in Great Britain said:

Ukrainians everywhere are grateful to the government and the British people for opening their homes and hearts to Ukrainians fleeing their homes as a result of Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine.

We welcome today’s announcement, which recognises the commitment of sponsors and local authorities during difficult economic times and will provide additional support and reassurance to Ukrainian families as they rebuild their lives and seek to overcome the trauma of war.

The UK government will continue to work with the Ukrainian government, the devolved administrations, local authorities and charities and voluntary groups to support guests and sponsors under the Homes for Ukraine Scheme.

The government is keen to ensure that Ukrainian guests receive the support they are entitled to while they are in the UK, and are helped into employment and long-term suitable accommodation, as soon as possible.

Hosts in the UK will continue to receive a monthly £350 thank-you payment during guests’ first 12 months, rising to £500 a month during the following 12 months.

Check how to apply to be a host.

Background

• In December 2022, DLUHC announced £150 million UK-wide funding to help support Ukrainians and others into sustainable accommodation and reduce the risk of homelessness in the financial year 2023 to 2024.
• Funding split: The £150 million is being apportioned across the UK according to the number of Homes for Ukraine arrivals in each nation. Scotland circa £30 million, Wales circa £8 million, and Northern Ireland circa £2 million for a total of circa £41 million to the devolved administrations. England circa £109 million.
• Funding to devolved administrations (DAs): fund will be delivered to the DAs via Budget Cover Transfer, in line with DA preferences, at Supplementary Estimates in early 2024.
• Funding in England: In England the £109 million will be administered as a top-up to the existing Homelessness Prevention Grant (HPG) for all local authorities, using the same conditions. Recognising wider pressures alongside those arising from the Ukrainian cohort, 66% of funding to local authorities will be allocated in line with the 2023 to 2024 HPG formula, and 34% based on the number of Ukrainian guests in each local authority.
• Purpose: the funding will help local authorities support Ukrainian guests into sustainable accommodation including through access to the private rented sector, employment support and facilitating ongoing sponsorship into guests’ second year.

Other funding: this funding forms part of the wider £650 million support package for Ukrainians announced in December, on top of the £1.1 billion already provided to councils through a tariff and thank you payments for each arrival in their area.

The Department for Transport carefully considered the need to ensure roads remain as safe as possible, and responses to a consultation on the proposal were overwhelmingly positive, with 99% agreeing there should be an extension and 89% agreeing with the proposed 3-year extension.