Guests temporarily absent from their sponsor/host’s accommodation: Homes for Ukraine
Source: gov.uk (2025-09-15)

Information about what to do if a guest is temporarily absent from the UK.

We recognise that guests may need to be absent temporarily from their sponsor/host’s accommodation for various reasons. We encourage guests and sponsors/hosts to discuss arrangements and the length of absence in advance of the guest’s departure.

If a guest’s absence is under 4 weeks, sponsors/hosts are not required to notify their council. However, if a guest is absent on multiple occasions for fewer than 4 weeks, the sponsor/host should discuss the reasoning for this with their guest and contact their council if they have any concerns.

If guests are expected to be away for more than 4 weeks, or do not return within 4 weeks, sponsors/hosts should then follow the guidance in the section below (‘guests absent from sponsor accommodation for a continuous period exceeding 4 weeks’).

Guests absent from sponsor accommodation for a continuous period exceeding 4 weeks

In situations where all guests plan to be absent from their sponsor/host’s accommodation for more than 4 weeks, or 4 weeks have passed and no guests have returned, the sponsor/host is required to notify their council of the absence. Councils should then pause the thank you payments to the sponsor.

The responsibility rests with the sponsor/host to update their council of guest absences of over 4 weeks. Failure to do so could result in the relevant council making further investigations.

Preparing for guest absences of longer than 4 weeks

Sponsors/hosts and guests should discuss arrangements in advance of the guests’ departure. Conversations could cover:
- whether or not the sponsorship arrangement would continue if the guest wished to return after 4 weeks’ absence
- whether the guest has flexibility to change their travel dates
- where to store the guests’ belongings, and how to return them if the guest will not return to live there
When guests return, sponsors/hosts can subsequently contact their council to request for the thank you payments to restart. Councils retain flexibility to conduct checks if they deem it appropriate in order to restart these payments.

Where fraud is identified, councils should use their best endeavours to claw the money back applying their usual counter-fraud and debt collection practices.

Guests should also contact their council to find out whether their temporary absence may affect entitlement to any services they are currently receiving.

If guests go abroad, they can continue to get Universal Credit for up to 1 month.

They must:
- be eligible for Universal Credit when they are going abroad
- remain eligible for it while they are abroad
- tell their work coach that they are going and let them know when they return
How to respond when a guest does not arrive in the UK when expected

If there is no record that guest has arrived in the UK, councils should assume they are most likely not in the country. Where this is the case, thank you payments should not be issued and tariffs should not be claimed.

How to respond when a guests’ whereabouts is unknown, and you are concerned about their wellbeing

Councils are not responsible for tracking the location of guests when their whereabouts is unknown unless the council is concerned about a child or an adult at risk due to care and support needs. It should be recognised that risk may arise by virtue of going missing.

If a council is concerned that there are suspicious circumstances or the person may have suffered harm or will suffer harm, they must liaise with the police. Police will assess risk on the basis of a framework published by the College of Policing (https://www.college.police.uk/app/major-investigation-and-public-protection/missing-persons) that will determine the level of police activity.

If a child goes missing, councils should follow existing statutory guidance (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/children-who-run-away-or-go-missing-from-home-or-care), including the Runaway and Missing from Home and Care (RMFHC) protocol you have agreed with local police and other partners. Any unaccompanied children who go missing should be immediately reported to the police.

If a council is concerned about an adult at risk due to care or support needs, the adult social care teams should assess whether they have a responsibility under the Care Act 2014.

The council where the person is located should consider whether they have any statutory safeguarding responsibility. If a council has reason to believe that a child or adult at risk is in their area, for example, because the original sponsor resides there or the council is receiving tariff payment in respect of the guest, the council should liaise with their child or adult protection teams.

Claiming a tariff payment when a guests’ whereabouts is unknown

A tariff payment should only be claimed by a council where the s.151 Officer is assured that the guest is ordinarily resident in the council’s area. If a guest does not arrive in a council’s area, the council should not claim the payment.

Thank you payments

Thank you payments only become payable to those sponsors/hosts where it is confirmed that the guest has arrived, and the sponsor/host has passed the necessary accommodation and safeguarding checks.