Homes for Ukraine in Westminster
Sign up to the Homes for Ukraine scheme to host an individual or family in Westminster.
The war in Ukraine has caused millions of people to be displaced. Alongside responses from many other countries, the Government has set up the Homes for Ukraine scheme to support arrivals in the UK.
There has been a generous response to this scheme from residents in Westminster, with significant numbers of people volunteering to host individuals or a family into their home.
We have a particular role as part of the Homes for Ukraine scheme which includes:
- supporting residents to sign up to the scheme as sponsors
- carrying out checks on accommodation being provided
- providing welfare checks for families and individuals arriving from Ukraine
- supporting access to education for children and young people
- wider signposting to support services where this is required.
We do not process or make decisions in relation to visas, this is a role performed by central Government. Find out more about the visa process.
Hear Adam answer frequently asked questions to learn more about what it means to be a sponsor.
Information for Homes for Ukraine sponsors
As the war in Ukraine continues, residents in Westminster are offering vital support to people fleeing the country by welcoming them into their homes.
To meet the requirements to be approved as a sponsor, applicants must meet the following criteria:
- Be over the age of 18
- Be a British citizen in the UK or have at least 6 months permission to be in the UK (from the date of the beneficiary’s visa application)
- Provide a valid ID for example, UK Passport, Biometric Residence Permit
- Confirm you can provide accommodation for a period of at least 6 months in the UK. You must be certain that you are in a secure position to offer a stable home to someone who needs it.
Sponsors will be supported by our Ukraine response team and have the option to receive monthly payments of £350 for the first 12 months, and £500 for the following 12 months, as long as guests are provided with accommodation of a suitable standard.
How to become a sponsor
If you would like to support those fleeing war by offering your home, you can do so by completing this form. This will lead to our dedicated Ukraine response team registering your contact with Central Government and enabling initial checks to be carried out on you by the council as a potential sponsor.
Once we have completed these checks, a member of the council’s response team will contact you to arrange for you to be matched to a Ukrainian family looking for a home. This may not happen straight away, but the team will keep you updated.
Alternatively, if you have a family member fleeing Ukraine you need to apply for the Ukraine Family Scheme visa instead.
Frequently asked questions
Will signing up as a sponsor affect my welfare payments?
- For sponsors who receive welfare payments, 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 as well as bedroom tax. These will remain tax free.
What will happen to my empty homes premium if I host Ukrainian refugees in a separate property?
- If you host people in a separate property which has an empty homes premium, you won’t have to pay the premium while they’re there and the council tax should be reduced.