Who is this guidance for?

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

What is Ukraine Permission Extension (UPE)?

The UPE scheme continues 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. The UK government announced on 1 September 2025 that the UPE scheme will be extended for another 24 months, following the initial 18 month period.

Further information about eligibility and entitlements can be found in Home Office 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.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 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 and guidance for guests.

Guidance for sponsors/hosts

Advice on hosting arrangements for guests will remain the same as under the Homes for Ukraine scheme.

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Thank you payments will not be payable if there is a close family relationship between sponsor/host and guest. Sponsors/hosts who are related to their guests and are currently in receipt of thank you payments, and whose guest transfers to the UPE scheme, will no longer be eligible for thank you payments. This is in line with the changes we made for new applications for thank you payments from 1 October 2024. See more information on who is classified as a close family member.

When a guest’s HFU permission expires, or is about 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. Some councils may pay more in some circumstances, but this is at their own discretion. Local arrangements should be set out in council guidance.

We do not want guests whose application is submitted late or 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-monthsix-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-monthsix-month period, a guest has had a decision on their UPE application, they should inform the council as soon as possible.  

After this 6-monthsix-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. 

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