Homes for Ukraine in 2026: the £350 sponsor payment, moving to a new host and council support

The key point for 2026: the 'thank you' payment to a Homes for Ukraine sponsor is a fixed £350 per month, regardless of how long the guest has already been in the UK. The former higher £500 tier (paid after the guest had been here for 12 months) has been abolished from 1 April 2025. If you heard about £500 in older materials or from a sponsor — that is outdated information.

How much sponsors are paid and for what in 2026

• £350 per month per household — the single rate from 1 April 2025, regardless of how long the guest has been staying.
• The payments are tax-free and do not affect the sponsor's entitlement to benefits or their council tax status.
• The payment is made by the local council, not by the guest or the government directly.

When there is NO payment

• If the sponsor and guest are close relatives. GOV.UK classes as close relatives: a spouse, a civil or unregistered partner, parents and parents-in-law, children and children-in-law, stepchildren, siblings, grandparents and their partners; for unaccompanied minors — also an aunt or uncle. The ban on payments to close relatives was introduced for new applications from 1 October 2024. The full list is on the GOV.UK page.
• If the sponsor charges the guest rent for accommodation — there is no entitlement to the monthly payment. The sponsor may ask only for a reasonable, proportionate contribution to utilities, but not a charge for the accommodation itself.

How long the payments last: the UPE scheme

The payments are tied to the validity period of the permission. Under the Ukraine Permission Extension (UPE) scheme, eligible sponsors receive £350 per month for the 18 months for which the UPE permission is granted. After that period the 'thank you' payments are no longer made.

• When the old Homes for Ukraine permission expires, the sponsor must reapply to their council to continue receiving the monthly payment for the UPE period.
• If the guest moves to UPE and the sponsor is their close relative (full list above), the entitlement to the payment is lost.

Requirements for the sponsor in 2026

• Sponsor status: the sponsor must be a British or Irish citizen or have settled status in the UK on the date the guest's visa application is submitted (rule in force from 19 February 2024). The exception is where a parent/guardian applies to take in their own child (provided they have permission under one of the Ukraine schemes).
• Minimum period: a willingness to provide accommodation for at least 6 months (preferably longer).
• Accommodation: under GOV.UK guidance it must be safe, heated, free of serious health hazards, with proper access to a bathroom and kitchen. GOV.UK advises offering at least a separate empty room: a bed in a shared space is, according to the guidance, not an acceptable offer of accommodation for 6 months.
• Checks: the council carries out accommodation and safety checks (including DBS where required) before the guest moves in.

What to do when the placement ends (rematching)

When the original arrangement with the sponsor comes to an end, the guest needs to find a new sponsor. This is called rematching (moving to a new host). The steps are:

1. Look for a new sponsor among acquaintances, through recognised providers, religious or community organisations, charities. If it is hard to find one yourself — contact the local council for help.
2. Once a new sponsor is found, be sure to notify the council before the move, so that it can carry out checks and approve the arrangement.
3. The council carries out safeguarding and accommodation checks on the new sponsor in advance, before move-in, and after the move — at least one in-person welfare visit.
4. If you move to a different area, your current council will contact the council of the new area for the necessary checks.

Important for the new sponsor: the council does not pay the 'thank you' payment to the new sponsor until the welfare check has taken place.

If you cannot find a new sponsor

Contact the local council for housing assistance. Arrivals under the scheme are entitled to housing assistance from day one, but the council warns of high demand for social housing, so you should start looking for a new sponsor early, without waiting until the last day of the placement.

All the rules above are from official GOV.UK guidance (pages updated in 2025–2026). Before taking any action, check against the current version of the GOV.UK pages, as amounts and time limits may change.