Britons looking after Ukrainian refugees should be payed double the monthly amount, minister says
- Refugees minister Lord Harrington has asked the Treasury to increase payments
- ‘Thank you’ funds for hosting Ukrainians could rise from £350 a month to £700
- Move hoped to help struggling families as many quit Homes for Ukraine scheme
British families who have taken in Ukrainian refugees should have their monthly payments doubled to £700 to keep them in the scheme, the minister in charge said on Monday night.
Lord Harrington revealed he has asked the Treasury to fund higher ‘thank you’ payments to the 25,000 households taking part in the Homes for Ukraine programme.
He suggested the extra financial incentive could prevent families withdrawing as the minimum six-month period comes at a time of soaring energy bills.
Millions fled their homes in Ukraine at the beginning of Russia’s brutal invasion of the country earlier this year
The Refugees Minister said: ‘I’ve asked the Treasury for the second six months to increase the thank you payment from £350 to £700.
‘People are under pressure. I can’t say with hard evidence, but all my gut tells me that if they are in financial difficulty it [increased payment] will help a lot.’
Refugees minister Lord Harrington revealed he has asked the Treasury to fund higher ‘thank you’ payments to the 25,000 households taking part in the Homes for Ukraine programme
Lord Harrington told the Daily Telegraph that around a quarter of households who signed up at the start of the scheme have indicated they will pull out after six months.
It would create a major headache for the Government – after a troubled start to the visa programme – if thousands of new homes had to be found.
The minister said he was ‘optimistic’ the Treasury would recognise additional payments would be more efficient than a mass rehousing programme.
Latest figures show 115,200 Ukrainians have arrived in the UK so far through two visa routes.
Of those, 81,700 were through the Homes for Ukraine scheme. The current £350-a-month payment is tax-free and does not affect hosts’ benefits or council tax status.
More than 100,000 people from Ukraine have been welcomed into homes across the UK. Pictured: A young protester at a vigil in London in March
Recent research by the Office for National Statistics found a quarter of sponsors did not want to continue hosting refugees beyond six months