Homes for Ukraine: Ukraine Permission Extension scheme - guidance for guests
Source: gov.uk (2025-08-05)

Guidance for guests who will be, or have, applied for permission under the Ukraine Permission Extension (UPE) scheme.

Who is this guidance for?

This guidance is aimed at guests who hold or previously held Homes for Ukraine permission and will be, or have, applied for permission under the Ukraine Permission Extension (UPE) scheme.

What is Ukraine Permission Extension?

The UPE scheme will continue to offer temporary sanctuary to Ukrainians and their eligible family members, and:
- provides up to 18 months permission to remain in the UK
- provides the same entitlements to work, study, rent and receive benefits
- is free to apply for
The scheme opened for applications on 4 February 2025. Further information about eligibility and entitlements can be found in Home Office guidance: Applying to the Ukraine Permission Extension scheme (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/applying-to-the-ukraine-permission-extension-scheme).

To ensure that Ukrainians who are still in Homes for Ukraine sponsorship arrangements are supported as they transition to living independently, the government is extending thank you payments for 18 months to reflect the permission period granted under the UPE scheme. Sponsors/hosts will need to apply for thank you payments to continue when a guest’s HFU permission expires or is about to expire. The eligibility criteria for payment are set out below. After this UPE period ends, thank you payments will discontinue.

There is separate guidance for councils (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/homes-for-ukraine-ukraine-permission-extension-scheme-guidance-for-councils) and guidance for sponsors/hosts (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/homes-for-ukraine-ukraine-permission-extension-scheme-guidance-for-sponsors).

Guidance for guests

Guests should make an application to the Ukraine Permission Extension (UPE) scheme to extend their stay before their current permission expires. Applications can only be made when their current permission has 28 days or less remaining until it expires.

If the application is late (submitted after the date of expiry of the individual’s current permission), even if the application for UPE is successful later, the guest will lose their current entitlements to work, study, rent and benefits, from the expiry of their existing permission until a decision is made. The guest may be required to repay any public funds (for example, certain benefits) that are paid to them during this period.

Guests can find out when their current permission expires by logging into their UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) account: Get access to your eVisa (https://www.gov.uk/get-access-evisa). More information can be found at: Applying to the Ukraine Permission Extension scheme (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/applying-to-the-ukraine-permission-extension-scheme).

When a guest’s HFU permission expires, or is about to expire, sponsors/hosts should reapply to their council if they wish to continue to receive a monthly thank you payment. Sponsors/hosts of those previously on Homes for Ukraine visas will be eligible for thank you payments of £350 a month for the 18 months that guests are covered by the UPE visa. Councils may pay more in some circumstances but this is at the discretion of the local authority. Local arrangements should be set out in council guidance.

Thank you payments will not be payable if there is a close family relationship between sponsor and guest. See more information on who is classified as a close family member (https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/homes-for-ukraine-guidance-for-guests#definitions-of-important-terms).

We do not want guests whose application is delayed for any reason to be at risk of homelessness or for sponsors/hosts to unnecessarily have a break in thank you payments whilst a visa application is being decided. Councils can therefore make thank you payments for a further 6-month period once the guest’s Homes for Ukraine visa has ended but UPE permission has not yet been granted. This also applies to late UPE applications.

If, during this 6-month period, a guest has had a decision on their UPE application, they should inform the council as soon as possible.

After this 6-month period, councils will cease making thank you payments if they have not received confirmation from the guest that the UPE visa has been awarded.

If a sponsorship breaks down during the UPE permission period, councils may be able to offer guests a rematch with another sponsor/host. Rematches can only be offered to UPE permission holders as long as they previously were Homes for Ukraine permission holders and where councils assess there is a material risk of homelessness. Thank you payments are payable unless there is a close family relationship between sponsor/host and guest.

All UPE visa holders have recourse to public services and benefits.

Guests and/or their sponsor/host should inform the council when their UPE permission expires.