Registering to host

Content

How to match with a Ukrainian guest
How do I register to host someone who is already in UK?
Things to consider before hosting
Is Hosting right for you?
Sponsoring family members
Contribution to household bills

1. How to match with a Ukrainian guest

There are two routes to match with a Ukrainian guest.

You can match with a Ukrainian who is still outside of UK.

You can do this by contacting a registered voluntary organisation providing a matching service - Recognised providers or connecting with a guest by yourself.

Re-matching

Re-matching relates to individuals who have already made the move to the United Kingdom and are looking for an alternative host once their current agreement has come to an end.

East Devon District Council are offering a re-matching service where they will match guests to possible hosts.

Guests are welcome to find their own re-match hosts, but these must be authorised by East Devon District Council prior to any arrangements being made to facilitate the move. For the host to be deemed as suitable they must have completed all the mandatory checks.

Please note if you choose to go ahead with any move prior to completing the mandatory checks, you will not receive your Thank You payment. If you are interested in becoming a host for a Ukrainian guest already in East Devon, please register your interest.

2. How do I register to host someone who is already in UK?

To record your interest: Homes for Ukraine: record your interest.

Once you have completed this first online form you will be required to complete a data sharing agreement which allows your data to be shared between the Home Office, the Department for Levelling up Housing and Communities, Devon Country and East Devon District Council.

Homes for Ukraine expression of interest

If this second form is not completed, we will not receive your application.

Once you have registered your interest and we have received your application our Private Sector Housing team will be in contact to complete a home inspection.

After your accommodation has been approved, Devon Country will initiate your DBS check and safeguarding checks.

Please look out for the DBS email and check your spam/junk folder.

After all checks have been completed East Devon District Council will approve the match and a move-in date can be agreed.

Once a guest has moved to a property, please inform EDDC about the move by contacting homesforukrainesupport@eastdevon.gov.uk.

You and your guest will be allocated a Resettlement Officer who will be your point of contact and will organise a welcome visit - this is the last check that must be completed before “Thank you payments” can be applied for.

If you have any questions, please direct these to a project Resettlement Officer or homesforukrainesupport@eastdevon.gov.uk

3. Things to consider before hosting

City of Sanctuary has a range of guidance and advice for people considering being a host or sponsor, including their list of things hosts should consider before signing up, webinars, and signposting to other resources. You may find it useful to watch a recording of their webinar ‘Homes for Ukraine Scheme: An Introduction to Hosting’ that was recorded on 7 April.

Things you need to consider before hosting or sponsoring

How Hosting a Ukrainian family will impact on existing Council Tax payments:

Ukrainian joining a sponsor’s home under the Homes for Ukraine scheme will be ‘disregarded’ when council tax discounts are calculated in England to ensure that sponsors are not financially worse off because of taking part in the scheme. As well as there being no impact on a sponsor’s discount for their main home, there will be a 50% discount for empty or second homes that are used to house Ukrainians on the scheme.

If you decide to rent your second home to a Ukrainian national – they would need to apply for a “discretionary Council tax discount” in their own name. In East Devon the council Tax is waved for Ukrainian nationals who arrived on Homes For Ukraine scheme.

4. Is Hosting right for you?

There’s a selection of online webinars available to help you with hosting and making right choices. Please check for dates and times here: Events Schedule

5. Sponsoring family members

Before 19 February 2024 it was possible for a Ukrainian national to sponsor a relative or a friend Under Homes For Ukraine Scheme if they had minimum of 6 months "Leave To Remain".

However, after this date regulations have changed and now sponsor must be:

a British or Irish citizen, or be ‘settled in the UK’ (which means having the right to live in the UK permanently)
able to provide accommodation for a minimum of 6 months

See Bringing Relatives To The UK for a summary.

6. Contribution to household bills

You can ask your guest to make reasonable contributions towards household bills, and, if you have made food preparation arrangements – contributions towards food.

Councils will use their discretion to assess whether these contributions are excessive and, if they constitute rent in practice. If it is determined to be unreasonable the councils can decline to make the ‘thank you’ payment until proof of an adjustment to the contribution is provided. This is stated as part of our government guidance which is publicly available Paying sponsors: Homes for Ukraine.

If you need help coming to a reasonable agreement with your guests – please ask your Resettlement Officer for assistance. As a general guidance – you shouldn’t charge more than 10% of your bills – this must exclude council tax, as your Council Tax band will not affected by arrival of your guests.

Please remember that your Thank you payments are Tax Free and might be affected if you start charging excessive contribution towards bills.

Thank you for your support for our Ukrainian guests.