Hosting someone already in the UK (rematching): Homes for Ukraine

Your council might ask you to house a guest or group of guests that have left their first host,sponsor/host, either because their previous hostsponsor/host were no longer able to support them, or the initial sponsorship period has come to an end.

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It monthsis inuseful thefor UK,councils youto willhave be eligible for a thankselection you payment of £350potential persponsors/hosts monthavailable fromshould the government. Once a guestrematch has been in theyour UKlocal forarea 12be months,needed thisquickly.

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You should think about what you need to know before you take in a guest.

Guests already living in the UK and wanting to ‘rematch’ usually need less support than someone just arriving in the country. Many guests have already found work and are settling into the area, making them more self-sufficient.

If you are asked through social media or a community group to hostsponsor/host a guest or family who is already in the UK, you need to contact your local council to make sure that they can make the necessary checks. You can can search for your local council.

If you don’t do this, the rematch won’t be recognised as part of the Homes for Ukraine scheme, and you won’t be eligible for the ‘thank you’ payment until the checks have been completed. Make sure you think about the potential risks if you hostsponsor/host a guest without any checks.

Sign-up

When guests transfer to hostnew visas under the Ukraine Permission Extension scheme, at the end of their Homes for Ukraine visas, rematches will only be available where councils assess there is a Ukrainianmaterial inrisk yourthat locala areahomelessness duty will arise.

Thank you payments

ItUntil is1 usefulApril for2025, councilssponsors/hosts are eligible to receive thank you payments of £350 per household during the first 12 months of a guest’s arrival in the UK, this increases to £500 a month once guests have been in the UK for 12 months.

After 1 April 2025, sponsors/hosts will be eligible to receive £350 a selectionmonth per household, irrespective of potentialhow hostslong availableguests shouldhave 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 rematchmonth, infor the 18 months that guests are covered by the Ukraine Permission Extension visa. See further guidance if your localguest areais beon neededthe quickly.Ukraine Permission Extension scheme.

YouThere can registeronly be one payment per residential address and in England it will be administered through your interestcouncil. 

As of 1 October 2024, close family members of Homes for Ukraine visa holders are not eligible to becomestart aclaiming hostthank foryou someonepayments. This applies to new arrivals and those who are already in the UK.UK Thisand ismove in with a serviceclose forfamily peoplemember.

Sponsors/hosts who haven’tare foundclosely arelated Ukrainianto guesttheir guests and are currently in receipt of thank you payments will no longer be eligible for thank you payments when the guests move to hosta yet.Ukraine Permission Extension visa. This is in line with the changes we made for new applications for thank you payments from 1 October 2024.