Support for Ukraine
Hillingdon Council, like other councils, has been given an important co-ordinating role in supporting people coming from Ukraine.
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Welcome guide for Ukrainians arriving in the UK
A welcome guide has been published on the GOV.uk website. This is a guide for Ukrainians arriving in the UK. It also includes specific information for those arriving on the Homes for Ukraine scheme.
Read the guide for Ukrainians arriving in the UK
Homes for Ukraine scheme
We are working with a range of partners to deliver a package of support and ensure that all people coming from Ukraine via the government's Homes for Ukraine scheme are looked after in Hillingdon. The government is providing additional funding to the council to deliver this support and ensure people coming from Ukraine are able to start rebuilding their lives and fully integrate into communities. Further funding will be provided to support education services.
The support we will be offering includes undertaking welfare, safeguarding and accommodation checks; arranging support for people from Ukraine, such as registering with a GP and school; administering support payments and providing advice and support to hosts, if required.
The government has determined that people from Ukraine will require a visa to enter the UK.
Homes for Ukraine - sponsors
The Homes for Ukraine scheme allows named Ukrainian nationals to be sponsored by UK households. You do not need to know someone from Ukraine to become a host.
As a sponsor, you must commit to provide free accommodation for at least 6 months for which you will receive an optional monthly 'thank you' payment of £350 subject to conditions and passed checks. Guests under this scheme will need to meet security checks prior to being issued with a visa that will entitle them to live, work and access benefits, healthcare and education in the UK for 18 months to 3 years depending on their visa.
Sponsors are required to help organise their guest's arrival, meet them on arrival, signpost them to public services and assist them with tasks, such as registering with a GP.
Register your interest for the Homes for Ukraine scheme
Information for potential sponsors
The council will be co-ordinating services and offering guests and sponsors support in the following ways:
- providing dedicated support to sponsors (if eligible)
- inspecting sponsor accommodation to check it's safe and of an appropriate size
- carrying out Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) and safeguarding checks for all adults in the sponsor household
- carrying out safeguarding checks with guests when they arrive at the sponsor accommodation
- administering payments for guests and sponsors (if eligible)
- assisting guests to receive Universal Credit, Pension Credit and Housing Benefit where they meet eligibility criteria
- supporting guests with local Jobcentre Plus appointments for benefit claims and job-seeking
- assisting guests in applying for school places for children of school age
- referring guests to health and social care services, as appropriate
- assisting with homelessness if a guest is homeless or at risk of homelessness
- helping guests to integrate into local communities with support from voluntary, community and faith organisations.
Reset has also produced a toolkit for sponsors wishing to welcome people through the Homes for Ukraine programme.
We will be working with a range of partners to offer our support and ensure that all people from Ukraine are supported or signposted in Hillingdon.
Ukraine Permission Extension (UPE) scheme
The Ukraine Permission Extension scheme enables guests to apply to extend their stay in the UK for a further 18 months after their Homes for Ukraine or other valid Ukrainian visa expires.
The UPE scheme opened for applications on Tuesday 4 February 2025.
It is free to apply for the UPE scheme, and if your application is successful, Ukrainians will be able to continue to live, work and study in the UK and access public funds.
Read further guidance on applying to the Ukraine Permission Extension scheme
Voluntary and community support
Hillingdon has an active voluntary and community sector, with many groups already providing support to people from other communities.
Community, faith and volunteer groups can contact us by emailing strongercommunities@hillingdon.gov.uk
- Reset - providing a matching and training service for sponsors and people from Ukraine under the UK government's Homes for Ukraine scheme, with support from DLUHC. It will bring together sponsors and people from Ukraine, and assess their eligibility and suitability for the scheme. It will also provide training and advice to the sponsors and community groups. Sponsors and people from Ukraine will need to register on the Reset matching website and will be contacted by the Reset team to begin the matching process.
- Red Cross - information and support for people from Ukraine, including the family migration visa and the Ukrainian family scheme.
- Sanctuary Foundation - online information events and support for hosts.
- Refugees at Home - a charity that has experience connecting people from the Ukraine and hosts.
- World Jewish Relief - runs a number of projects for Ukrainians like STEP Ukraine.
- Barnardos - free helpline (0800 148 8586) staffed by English, Ukrainian and Russian speakers to offer support to children and families arriving from Ukraine. Callers will be able to get help and advice on a range of topics such as housing and health care.
- OPORA - a registered UK charity supporting Ukrainians in rebuilding their lives sustainably in the UK. They provide Ukrainian language informational support and emergency assistance.
- EERC - a charity and an OISC registered advisor which provides information, advice and support to people from Eastern European countries.
- The Association of Ukrainians in Great Britain - the largest representative body for Ukrainians and those of Ukrainian descent in the UK.
- The Romanian and Eastern European Hub - providing free support for Ukrainian refugees and their families in the UK.
Next steps after Homes for Ukraine: renting private accommodation
As a sponsorship comes to an end, you might want to talk with your guest about moving to a more formal arrangement, if your guest would still like to live in your property or move to another property that you own. This would mean that you may need to become a landlord, which could require you to take on more responsibilities. Your rights and responsibilities could be different depending on whether the guest remains living in your property or moves into another property you own.
Information on what this means is available in the how to let in England guide, and in:
This will help guests when they are ready and able to move out of sponsorship into independent accommodation.
If guests are considering renting their own accommodation, they can read more information about their rights and responsibilities as a tenant.
Donations
If you would like to provide a donation to support people from Ukraine, you can do this via the Disasters Emergency Committee appeal website.
If you have any questions regarding the Homes for Ukraine scheme in London Borough of Hillingdon, please email us at ukraine@hillingdon.gov.uk or call 01895 556018.