National and Local Guidance
National Homes for Ukraine Guidance
Guides for sponsors/hosts
When your guest arrives
- Meet your guests and help them settle in
Information about how to make your guests feel more comfortable in their new home, set expectations about how to live together and communicate with your guests. - Sponsors of children travelling to, or staying in the UK without their parent or legal guardian
What to do if you are asked to look after your guest's child or children unexpectedly. This could include if your guest needs to leave the country, or travel separately. - If you're worried about a guest or their children
What to do if you are concerned for your guests or their children's safety. Includes what to do if you think they are being exploited. - If your guest will be absent temporarily
What to do if your guest will be temporarily absent from your accommodation.
Ending sponsorship or rematching
- When you have sponsored for 6 months
Information about next steps when you have sponsored a guest for 6 months. - Finding a new host (rematching)
If your guests are not ready to leave sponsorship and move into their own alternative accommodation, but you can no longer accommodate them, they may want to find a new host. - Ending your hosting arrangements, and helping your guest with their next steps
Information about what to do if you need to end your hosting arrangements for any reason.
Guides for guests
Arriving and living in the UK
- Arriving in the UK
What to do when you arrive in the UK if you have a visa, don't have a visa or have a biometric residence permit. - Welcome Points and travelling to your sponsor
Where the welcome points are, what facilities are available and how to make travel arrangements to meet your host. - Living with your sponsor
How to live with your sponsor, what to expect from them and what to do if things don't work out. - Parents of children under 18 travelling to, or staying in, the UK without their parent or legal guardian
What you need to do if you need to leave your children in the care of your sponsor, or if you can't travel with your children to the UK. - Driving and public transport
The legal requirements for getting your driving licence, and how public transport works in the UK. - Get urgent help and report a crime
Who to call in an emergency, like police, fire or ambulance services. - Get urgent medical help
How to get medical help for emergencies, issues that can't wait until you can see your GP and dental emergencies. - Continuing to live with your host or rematching
What your options are if you want to continue to live with your host, or if you need to move on to a new host. - Renting private accommodation
How to rent privately, including your rights and responsibilities.
Access benefits and essential services
- Get a bank account and your arrival payment
How to find the right bank for you, and when you will receive your arrival payment. - Apply for Universal Credit and other benefits
Benefits that are available to you and how to apply for them. - Get a National Insurance number
How to get a national insurance number if you are working or are claiming benefits. - Register with a doctor and get medication
How to register with an NHS doctor and patient questionnaires in Ukrainian and Russian.
Work and tax
- Find a job
Where to find work, who can help you and how to access skills based training for employment. - Working in Healthcare in the UK
The regulations about working in any healthcare role, and how to register with the appropriate accredited bodies. - Your rights at work
What you can expect from your employer and what your responsibilities are as an employee. What to do if you think you are being treated unfairly at work. - Paying tax
The types of tax you will pay as an employee and how this could affect any benefits your claim. - Paying taxes in the UK if you work for an employer based in Ukraine
Find out about paying Income Tax and National Insurance contributions if you arrive in the UK but are still working for an employer in Ukraine.
Education
- Childcare and education up to 16 years old
How and when to apply for childcare places and schools. - Education for people from 16 years old to adults
Sixth form, further education (like college), higher education (like university), apprenticeships and skills based training available. - Learn to speak, read and write English
Resources and training to learn English.
Health
- Adult Health
Services and care available through the NHS for adults. - Care for elderly, vulnerable or disabled adults
How to access social care, plus support if you, or someone you care for is blind. - Child Health
Services and care available through the NHS for children.
You are here as guests in accordance with one of the following UK Immigration arrangements:
Ukraine Family Scheme Visa
If you came to the UK to join the household of a family member, it is important to note that you did that by mutual agreement and personal arrangement. The expectation is that you will continue to reside with your family for as long as you need that safe place to stay, or if you are able to source your own accommodation. Whilst the local authorities are not involved in that arrangement, you may find some of the information on this website useful to you during your stay.
Homes for Ukraine Scheme
Those who offer a home to people fleeing Ukraine, are called a “sponsor”. They have registered their interest in being a sponsor with the UK Government. The sponsors offer of room(s) or a property is for a minimum of six months, but ideally for as long as your, as “guests” need a safe place to stay. Guests will be able to live and work in the UK for up to three years and access benefits, healthcare, employment and other support.
For more information on these national schemes and the role of the Lincolnshire councils, please visit the Ukraine Response page.
How to provide biometrics
Once you are in the UK, to provide your biometrics within six months you need to visit Ukraine Scheme BRP (visas-immigration.service.gov.uk). Once your details have been received, you will be told how to provide your biometric information. This might be by using the ID Check app on your phone or by visiting a centre in the UK. You should do this as soon as possible and you must do this within six months to enable you to stay in the UK for three years.
You can call the free 24/7 helpline on 0808 164 8810 if you are in the UK for help with any questions about the scheme.
Lincolnshire County Council
Wellbeing Lincs
Wellbeing Lincs is a countywide service funded by Lincolnshire County Council supporting adults across Lincolnshire to achieve confident, fulfilled and independent living. Wellbeing Lincs have established a service designed to assist Ukrainian citizens who have moved to Lincolnshire through the family, or sponsorship schemes recently launched by central government.
We can provide emotional support, as well as help accessing statutory services such as health, education, benefits and council services including housing. We can also help link you with community support services and charities.
While we will attempt to assist with requests for help outside the above list, we are not able to provide general updates to the public on where to send donations, or how to receive assistance for Ukrainian citizens who have been in the UK since before the current conflict.
To access our service please provide us with your name, address, contact information and a brief idea of your main reason for contacting us to ukraine.wellbeing@e-lindsey.gov.uk. We will contact you as soon as possible to discuss how we can help, which will usually be within two working days. You can also use our dedicated contact number; however, you should be aware, the telephone line can be very busy, so email is the quickest way to make contact. Our telephone number is 01507 613044 and will operate between 9am and 5pm Monday to Thursday, then 10am to 4.30pm Friday.
Urgent social care services
The welfare of you and your family is important to us, if you are in need of urgent assistance please note:
- Adult Social Care –urgent social care intervention that cannot wait until the next working day: 01522 782155
- Adult Safeguarding – where an adult may be experiencing abuse or neglect. Please note: If you believe a crime has been committed or there is an immediate risk of danger, call the police on 999 or 101
- Children’s Services – immediate and significant risk of harm: 01522 782111, or if outside normal working hours: 01522 782333
District Councils
The county council is the upper tier of local government, below which are seven district councils with responsibility for services such as housing, planning applications, council tax and refuge collection.
The districts of Lincolnshire are listed below with their contact details. Each council has also established a dedicated single point of contact for all enquiries associated with the Homes for Ukraine scheme.
Boston Borough Council
Tel: 01205 314200
Website: www.mybostonuk.com
Email: Housing.Standards@boston.gov.uk
City of Lincoln Council
Tel: 01522 881188
Website: www.lincoln.gov.uk
Email: UkraineSPOC@lincoln.gov.uk
East Lindsey District Council
Tel: 01507 601111
Website: www.e-lindsey.gov.uk
Email: HousingStandards@e-lindsey.gov.uk
North Kesteven District Council
Tel: 01529 414155
Website: www.n-kesteven.gov.uk
Email: HomesforUkraine@n-kesteven.gov.uk
South Holland District Council
Tel: 01775 761161
Website: www.sholland.gov.uk
Email: Privatehousing@sholland.gov.uk
South Kesteven District Council
Tel: 01476 406080
Website: www.southkesteven.gov.uk
Email: UkraineSPOC@southkesteven.gov.uk
West Lindsey District Council
Tel: 01427 676676
Website: www.west-lindsey.gov.uk
Email: homesforukraine@west-lindsey.gov.uk
Where you are staying should be available for you for as long as you need a safe place to stay. However, in exceptional circumstances where the arrangement has irretrievably broken down and you have no alternative options, the Homelessness Team at the council will be able to offer you information, advice and assistance. Please use the links above to access the council that covers the area where you are currently staying.
Housing services
District Councils are responsible for housing services, including emergency homelessness situations. The table below contains the contact details for each district’s housing team, and an out-of-hours phone number should there be an emergency need for accommodation.
|
District Council |
During Office Hours |
Outside of Office Hours |
|
Boston |
01205 362151 |
|
|
City of Lincoln |
01522 534747 |
|
|
East Lindsey |
01507 601111 |
|
|
North Kesteven |
01529 308308 |
|
|
South Holland |
01522 782235 |
|
|
South Kesteven |
01476 590044 |
|
|
West Lindsey |
01427 613960 |