In response to demands for extra assistance, ministers could quadruple the £350 monthly payments to British hosts of Ukrainian refugees from £350 to £750.
Since Russia’s savage invasion of Ukraine began at the end of February, over 100,000 Ukrainians have found refuge in homes across the United Kingdom.
In spite of this, many host families are now requesting additional assistance from the government in order to continue sheltering refugees despite the rising expense of living.
In addition, ministers are advised to do more to persuade households to remain enrolled in the “Homes for Ukraine” program beyond the first six-month period.
When expressing their desire to sponsor a refugee, households must promise to providing housing for at least six months.
Concerns exist, however, regarding the possibility of homelessness if households decide they can no longer afford to host refugees beyond their first commitment due to escalating costs.
Recent research conducted by the Office of National Statistics revealed that a quarter of sponsors do not wish to continue hosting refugees beyond six months.
23% of those individuals stated they did not want to continue hosting due to growing living expenses or because they could no longer afford it.
According to the website PoliticsHome, the government might act by doubling the monthly ‘thank you’ payment for host families to £700 if they are ready to provide housing for longer than six months.
Approximately 2,000 hosts have already signed an open letter to ministers requesting additional assistance.
In a letter organized by the charity Sanctuary Foundation, the hosts requested: ‘Please consider increasing the amount of ‘thank you’ payments, especially for hosts caring for multiple individuals, for hosts providing housing for more than six months, and for households bearing the brunt of the cost-of-living crisis.’
In addition, they urged ministers to contribute monies to supplement the Universal Credit housing allowance for Ukrainian refugees and to pay English language classes for people who have fled the invasion of Vladimir Putin.
According to Treasury officials cited by MailOnline, the government will continue to monitor and evaluate the assistance granted under the “Homes for Ukraine” program.
They noted that the current monthly payments of £350 were already exempt from taxation.
Lord Harrington, the minister for refugees, and Vadym Prystaiko, the Ukrainian ambassador, began issuing joint thank-you letters to British refugee sponsors at the end of last month.
They added, “Your guests and their fellow Ukrainians around Europe continue to feel the effects of this conflict.
“We recognize that this has not always been simple for you. It is difficult to welcome individuals into your house and help them adjust to life in a new nation.
Unfortunately, this conflict has lasted longer than any of us had hoped. The sixth month of full-scale Russian attack has gone; millions of Ukrainians have been forced to evacuate their homes, and hundreds continue to die daily.
Although 2.5 million Ukrainians have returned home, some have nowhere to go because their homes have been damaged and their cities continue to be bombarded.
Therefore, the continuous support of individuals such as yourself is part of a substantial international response backing Ukraine and its people.