Funding for councils: Homes for Ukraine
Source: gov.uk (2025-09-15)

How government funds councils for thank you payments and tariffs. Includes two-tier and devolved administrations, education, record keeping, and reconciliation.

The government provides funding to councils at a rate of £5,900 per guest under the Homes for Ukraine Scheme. This funding will provide support to families to rebuild their lives and fully integrate into communities.

Thank you payments

The government also provides funding for councils to issue thank you payments for sponsors/hosts.

As of 1 April 2025, sponsors/hosts are eligible to receive £350 a month per residential address, irrespective of how long guests have been in the UK.

Eligible sponsors/hosts of those previously on Homes for Ukraine visas will be able to claim thank you payments of £350 a month, for the 18 months that guests are covered by the Ukraine Permission Extension (UPE) Scheme visa. See further guidance on the Ukraine Permission Extension Scheme (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/homes-for-ukraine-ukraine-permission-extension-scheme-guidance-for-councils).

As of 1 October 2024, sponsors/hosts of new arrivals are not eligible to receive thank you payments for hosting a close family member who moves into their home in the UK. This change applies to payment claims taking place from this date, irrespective of visa application dates. It also includes where a guest transfers onto the Ukraine Permission Extension Scheme.

Close family members include:
- a spouse, or civil or unmarried partner
- a parent
- a parent-in-law
- a son or daughter
- a son- or daughter-in-law
- a step-son or daughter
- a sibling
- a grandparent; or
- the spouse, civil partner or unmarried partner of any of these people
For unaccompanied minors, this also includes an aunt or uncle of the child.

Those who are already in the UK and move in with a close family member are classified as having left sponsorship, rather than a rematch. In these cases, councils are not required to carry out the usual Homes for Ukraine safeguarding checks, however statutory duties still apply.

Councils should determine whether a close family relationship exists between a sponsor/host and guest before issuing thank you payments. Councils have discretion over what information they use to determine this.

We expect councils to cover any administration costs from the tariff.

How payments to councils are made

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) makes quarterly payments to councils, in arrears.

Payments are based on the actual number of Homes for Ukraine guests for the tariff and the actual number of legitimate thank you payments made to sponsors/hosts within each area.

Second Homes for Ukraine visas

We are aware that some guests may choose to apply for a second Homes for Ukraine visa. This means that a guest arriving to the UK may have successfully secured a different Homes for Ukraine visa at an earlier date. They may have applied for a second time because their permission to travel expired, or they were unable to apply for UPE due to being outside the UK during the entirety of the 28-day application window.

A guest is considered a ‘second visa holder’ only if they both:

hold a second Homes for Ukraine visa; and

have previously travelled to the UK on their first Homes for Ukraine visa.

The Homes for Ukraine tariff is capped at one per individual. Therefore, councils should not claim tariff for second visa holders.

Councils might be aware of some arrivals being second visa holders because they remember the guest or know their host/sponsor. The Share system or their local records might also show that the guest had arrived previously in their area. Where tariff has already been claimed in respect of an individual, councils should not claim tariff for a second time.

Some second visa holders may have originally arrived in a different council area, where a tariff was previously claimed. Councils should ask guests coming into their area if they have travelled to the UK on a Homes for Ukraine visa before to assess whether tariff has already been claimed by another council. Councils should assume that if a guest arrived in a different council area, then the tariff has already been claimed.

If a council becomes aware that a tariff was not claimed when the second visa holder first arrived, they can make a legitimate claim for tariff.

If a council becomes aware after making a claim that they should not have claimed tariff, they should adjust their claim for tariff in the next DELTA return.

Where a guest is arriving to the same sponsor, councils do not need to repeat safeguarding checks. However, they should undertake safeguarding checks where a guest is moving to an unknown sponsor/host.

Sponsors/hosts of second visa holders are entitled to thank you payments as long as councils are satisfied that eligibility requirements are otherwise met.

Councils have discretion over issuing welcome payments to second visa holders on a case-by case basis.

Reconciliation process

Reconciliation of the tariff is now decentralised. Where guests have moved across council boundaries, councils can reconcile the tariff funding directly with the other council involved in the rematch. The receiving council may choose not to reconcile the tariff.

England including two-tier councils

In England, in two-tier areas, both districts and counties have access to funds for their relevant duties under the scheme. Having engaged closely with representatives from the sector to determine the most appropriate payment mechanism, funding for both the tariff and thank you payments will be provided to upper-tier councils.

However, in two-tier areas it is a condition of the funding that councils must agree a plan locally to:
- make prompt payments to lower-tier councils in relation to all the services which they provide to guests under the scheme, during the full duration of the scheme, including for services such as homelessness assistance for which lower-tier councils are responsible
- make an immediate payment to lower-tier councils in relation to any upfront costs
Scotland

In Scotland, councils receive the tariff and thank you payments directly from MHCLG.

Wales

In Wales, the Welsh Government receive the tariff payments for councils from MHCLG and distribute this funding to Welsh councils. The thank you payments are provided directly to Welsh councils by MHCLG.

Northern Ireland

In Northern Ireland, the Executive Office receive the tariff and thank you payments from MHCLG.

Keeping accurate records on Share Homes for Ukraine

We will continue to collect data relating to the programme in Share, through which we expect councils to upload relevant data regularly.

Councils must maintain accurate records on the number of guests and sponsorship households in their area. It is critical that this data is accurately captured and reported to MHCLG to enable payments of funding to be made.

Councils must use the tariff to meet all of their associated costs in delivering the Homes for Ukraine Scheme (both for providing council services to guests and for administering payments). This includes any discretionary top up to the ‘thank you’ payment.

We ask that any council which may be experiencing unmanageable pressures to contact MHCLG in the first instance.