Ukraine refugee scheme: Questions remain as British officials draw up plans to get first game in a week

Posted On: March 14, 2022

Tens of thousands of Britons are expected to open their homes to Ukrainian refugees when the new plan is unveiled on Monday.

But while the Home for Ukraine plan is a significant expansion of the government’s refugee policy for the country, there are questions about the finer details of how it will work.

People who offer accommodation in their homes will receive £350 per month to help pay for extra food and electricity bills.

But officials have made clear that people currently living alone won’t lose their single city tax discount, which saves 25 percent of their annual bill, and the government plans to pass legislation to prevent local authorities from canceling the discount.

Security checks will be carried out on all UK refugees and heads of households selected for the sponsorship programme.

For UK citizens, it is unclear whether this will involve a full DBS criminal record check or a one-off check of the national police computer database. The Leveling Up department is expected to make further details of this process on Monday.

DBS’ full control of the head of household will be of paramount importance to anyone offering homes to women, vulnerable people and children.

If tens of thousands of Britons signed up for the scheme, it would take a long time for the Limitation and Disclosure Service, the Home Office agent that runs the checks, to process them, casting doubt on Michael Michael’s Level Up claim. that the first Ukrainians can be accommodated under the scheme within a week.

The typical timeframe for a DBS check is two weeks, but it can take longer if multiple police are involved.

There are also concerns about the level of support offered to refugees and Britons involved in off-funding schemes.

Many Ukrainian refugees, especially children, will be traumatized by the war and have to leave their homes. Local authorities will receive £10,500 per refugee to provide broader support such as schooling for children.

The funding is designed to provide ‘comprehensive care’ to refugees and their hosts in the UK, including offering assistance with mental health advice and support in finding work. However, it is not clear what role UK domestic providers will play in facilitating this support.

The Homes for Ukraine Scheme is designed to offer refugees a home for at least six months, but they will be in the UK on a three-year visa, meaning they can expect to stay longer.

Government officials said many refugees would be interested in finding work and housing on their own, so they wouldn’t have to live in someone’s home for three years.