Ukraine specific support

The helpline is available to support both sponsors and guests with any queries or concerns they have about the scheme or living in the UK.

We can communicate in both English and Ukrainian depending on your preference.

• Telephone: 0300 123 6718
• Email: homesforukraine@lancashire.gov.uk

Every guest who applies to and arrives into Lancashire when they initially come to the UK is entitled to receive a welcome payment of £350. This is an interim payment to assist guests whilst they are waiting for their universal credit application to be processed.

Once the guest has applied, they will receive a text message or an email with a code they can take to any post office to receive the payment. We aim to process these requests within 2 working days.

To apply for this payment, please click the following link – welcome payment application

Community support hubs provide support and assistance to sponsors and guests.

For details of your nearest community group, contact homesforukraine@lancashire.gov.uk or 0300 123 6718.

Your sponsorship arrangement might end for many different reasons. If your living arrangements aren’t working out because you are not getting on with your guest, or you are worried it is about to end, please email us on homesforukraine@lancashire.gov.uk or call Homes for Ukraine Helpline on 0300 123 6718 as soon as possible so we could arrange the specific assistance for you.

If your guest is at risk of becoming homeless, you should apply to your district council Homelessness or Housing team for help as soon as possible. This will give them more time to prevent your guest becoming homeless or help your guest to find somewhere else to live.

You can also find a list of local authority out of hours emergency numbers.

Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council: Housing

• Email housingneeds@blackburn.gov.uk
• Phone 01254 585457

Blackpool Council: Housing

• Email housing.options@blackpool.gov.uk
• Phone 01253 477760

Burnley Council: Housing

• Email housing@burnley.gov.uk 
• Phone 01282 425011

Chorley Council: Housing

• Email Housing.solutions@chorley.gov.uk
• Phone 01257 515151

Fylde Council: Housing

• Email housing@fylde.gov.uk
• Phone 01253 658658

Hyndburn Borough Council: Housing

• Email strat@hyndburnbc.gov.uk
• Phone 01254 388111

Lancaster City Council: Housing

• Email strategichousing@lancaster.gov.uk
• Phone 01524 582257

Pendle Borough Council: Housing

• Email housing.needs@pendle.gov.uk
• Phone 01282 661661 (ask for housing options)

Preston City Council: Housing

• Online Contact Form
• Phone 01772 906412

Ribble Valley Borough Council: Housing  

• Email housing@ribblevalley.gov.uk
• Phone 01200 414551

Rossendale Borough Council: Housing

• Email housingoptions@rossendalebc.gov.uk
• Phone 01706 252555

South Ribble Borough Council: Housing

• Email housing@southribble.gov.uk
• Phone 01772 625625

West Lancashire Borough Council: Housing

• Email privatesectorhousing@westlancs.gov.uk (private sector)
• Phone 01695 585279

Homelessness Prevention

• Email homelessness@westlancs.gov.uk
• Phone 01695 585223 or 01695 585222

Wyre Council: Housing

• Email housingoptions@wyre.gov.uk
• Phone 01253 891000

Anyone who meets the below criteria is able to register for the scheme. 

Sponsor eligibility criteria

• Be based anywhere in the UK
• 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 or a minimum of 6 months
• Have permission from the homeowner/ landlord

More information about sponsor eligibility on GOV.UK.

The accommodation must be available for at least 6 months, but this can be up to 3 years if you choose, fit for people to live in, and suitable for the number of people to be accommodated.

Before you sign up

Before signing up for the scheme we want you to consider the following questions, to ensure that everyone feels protected and secure:

Housing

1. Have you checked with your landlord, mortgage provider and home insurance provider to ensure you are able to offer a space?
2. Are you happy to give a copy of your house key to your guest?
3. Will you be comfortable allowing people access to your home if you go on holiday?
4. How will you feel if your guest still hasn't found a house after 12 months? Will you be able to let them stay? Will you feel comfortable evicting your guest?

Financial

1. Will this impact on your council tax, utility bills or rent?
2. Will you be able to provide food and other basics whilst arrivals wait for their benefits claim to be processed?
3. Can you afford to pay for their flights to the UK? Sponsors are being asked to support Ukrainians to get to the UK and are expected to pick them up from the airport.

Practical 

1. Do you have the time to support people to register with services such as GPs and dentists?
2. Can you help someone navigate a new place and new systems without interpretation or translation support?
3. Are you comfortable with social workers and support staff visiting your home to help with integration?
4. Will you feel comfortable living with people who have a very different parenting style or culture?
5. Are you happy living with someone who has not had any Covid-19 vaccinations?

Emotional

1. Have you spoken to your family or children about how they feel about hosting a new person in your home?
2. Have you met someone with PTSD? People suffering from trauma can be very depressed, hopeless and angry. This can be difficult to be around and needs specialised treatment and therapy. PTSD often lasts for years.
3. Are you able to support someone who has complex mental health problems? Sponsors will be provided with no medical history about a guest.

After we receive your application details, we'll email you with information about what happens next.

We'll request the following checks to determine the suitability of the sponsorship

• Property check – to confirm the accommodation is suitable for the number of guests arriving
• Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check

Your district council will contact you to arrange a suitable time for the property check.

We'll also make at least one in-person visit (known as a welfare visit) once your guests have arrived. This is to see if there are any welfare concerns with the sponsorship and help us see if any formal assessments are needed for your guests.

Sometimes the Home Office will ask for proof that the checks have been completed before the visa is issued. Please engage with all relevant departments that carry these out.

Once the guest has arrived, you must let us know so we can update our records and welcome the guest to Lancashire. We will then send you some information about how to support your guest to settle into life in the UK.

Whilst your Ukrainian guest is living with you, you will receive a payment of £350 per month. This is to say "Thank You" for your support and to help cover any additional costs incurred.

This payment is available to all sponsors for the duration of a guest's Homes for Ukraine visa and up to 18 months of the guest's Ukraine Permission Extension visa. The payments will stop once the guest moves out.

The payment is subject to all checks being completed. You need to allow us to complete all the checks required, including regular calls with you and the guest. If you charge your guests rent, then you will not be entitled to any further payments.

The Homes for Ukraine Team will approve the payment and inform your district council that this can be paid. You can contact the Homes for Ukraine Team on 0300 123 6718 or homesforukraine@lancashire.gov.uk and they will send you the appropriate information on how to provide your bank details to the district council for payment."

Contact the Homes for Ukraine Team on homesforukraine@lancashire.gov.uk or 0300 123 6718 and we'll let you know how to provide your bank details to the district council for payment.

If you have moved, or are planning to move, into another sponsor's accommodation, complete the form for re-matching so we can update our records and ensure the relevant checks are completed and payments made.

If you would like to find a new sponsor, but do not have one yet, contact the Homes for Ukraine Team on 0300 123 6718 or homesforukraine@lancashire.gov.uk for assistance.