Information for hosts
If you're a new or existing host, the information in this section will support you through the process.
We would encourage all existing sponsors and guests to direct anyone interested in becoming a host to register their interest through the government website. Once a match is made the process will be properly managed and monitored by the council to support all parties.
If you are thinking about hosting guests, there are a few things to consider. The government web page is a great place to start and you can read about the process of becoming a host.
Once you've made your decision to host, you'll need to register with the Homes for Ukraine scheme. That can be done by checking the property suitability guide
When you have sponsored for six months your thoughts may turn to what happens next?
You can read the information provided by the Homes for Ukraine scheme and the choices available to you. Not everyone will extend a guests stay or feel that hosting is something that can be offered long term.
Guides for sponsors are regularly updated and include eligibility criteria, applying as a sponsor, advice on making your guests welcome in the UK, as well as helping your guests with the next steps.
There is advice here on meeting your guests and helping them to settle in.
If you're planning to host guests under the age of 18 years old without a legal guardian you must adhere to this guidance.
Thank you payments to hosts
To help us get support to guests as soon as possible please remember to notify us once your guest has arrived by contacting your designated delivery officer or email: HomesforUkraine@nottscc.gov.uk
Once you have confirmed their arrival, we'll send a request for your bank details via a secure Nottinghamshire County Council email address.
The email will provide you with a safe link to provide your bank details. It is important that you respond to this as soon as possible so we can arrange your payments.
Please do not provide your bank details via any other route.
You will also need to make sure that you complete the declaration form after your guest has arrived.
Once these have been completed Nottinghamshire County Council will be able to make your payment as per the timetable below. Payments will be made in arrears into the bank account details provided.
Additional ‘thank you’ payments for sponsors / hosts
To recognise the commitment of sponsors / hosts who continue to accommodate their Ukrainian guests, we are offering additional monthly ‘thank you’ payments. This is a discretionary increase to the optional payment of £350 per month per accommodation (This increases to £500 per month once the guest has been in the UK 12 months).
This means that an extra payment of £75 per month, per guest hosted during the month is available to all sponsors / hosts. This payment is in respect of guests hosted between 1 October 2022 to 30 September2023.
Payments will be made monthly in arrears and will be backdated.
As more people reach six and even 12 months of hosting, there are still people arriving in the UK and new sponsors who are about to start hosting.
We believe that by exchanging experiences we can support one another and those who are about to start this journey. Here are some thoughts from current sponsors about what they have learned from hosting:
- ‘Hosting will work best if you are fairly relaxed about things, enjoy having a houseful of people, and also have enough space for some privacy for you and the family you are hosting’.
- ‘We have enjoyed learning about our guests lives and introducing them to British culture, events and places to visit. We provided them with an 'about us' information sheet at the beginning, including some basic house rules, but in fact we have all adapted very easily to living together.’
- ‘Understand that you will be (in most circumstances) not just providing sanctuary, you will be setting someone up with an entirely new life. So be prepared for many weeks of admin tasks from national insurance numbers, through to childcare advice, bank accounts and job searches. If you have a close family network, then asking them to take on specific tasks will help you.’
- ‘Look for help and guidance from local groups or organisations who've already been supporting Ukrainian guests. They can be very useful pointing new hosts towards local resources such as English language courses, job clubs and local council help’.
- ‘If you are hosting in a smaller town or village, be aware that your guest will likely need some help with transport, particularly opening bank accounts/claiming Universal Credit, getting to job interviews etc. If you have difficulty with this, but have friends/neighbours who admire you for hosting and tell you they wished they could do it, but don't have the space, maybe they can help out with occasional transport?’