Your council might ask you to house a guest or group of guests that have left their first host, either because their previous host was no longer able to support them, or the initial sponsorship period has come to an end. If your guest is in their first 12 months in the UK, you will be eligible for a thank-you payment of £350 per month from the government.

Once a guest has been in the UK for 12 months, this will increase to £500 per month – even if you have not hosted before.

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 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 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 host a guest without any checks.