Homes for Ukraine - Further information about the UPE

In February 2024, the Home Office announced that Ukrainians and their eligible family members in the UK who have already been granted permission under one of the other Ukraine Schemes would be able to apply for the Ukraine Permission Extension (UPE) scheme before their existing permission expires. The scheme opened for applications on 4 February 2025.

The UPE scheme will continue to offer temporary sanctuary to Ukrainians and their eligible family members, and will:

• provide up to 18 months permission to remain in the UK
• provide the same entitlements to work, study, rent and receive benefits
• be free to apply for

When Ukrainian’s initial period of UPE permission is coming to an end, they may be eligible to apply for a further 24 months extension under the scheme.

Further information about eligibility and entitlements can be found in Home Office guidance: Applying to the Ukraine Permission Extension scheme.

To ensure that Ukrainians who are still in Homes for Ukraine sponsorship arrangements are supported as they transition to living independently, the government is extending thank you payments for 18 months to reflect the permission period granted under the UPE scheme. Hosts will need to apply for thank you payments to continue when a guest’s Homes for Ukraine permission expires. The eligibility criteria for payment are set out below. After this UPE period ends, thank you payments will discontinue.

There is a separate guidance for guests and guidance for sponsors/hosts.

Thank you payments

Wychavon will continue to pay thank you payments to hosts of guests who were previously Homes for Ukraine permission holders during this 18-month UPE permission visa period, if all eligibility requirements are met.

A host will be eligible where the host has made a payment claim and we are satisfied that:

• the guest was previously a Homes for Ukraine scheme permission holder
• the guest and sponsor/hosts are not close family members

Only one thank you payment per residential address will be paid. This remains the case even if the property is occupied by a Homes for Ukraine permission holder and a UPE permission holder.

Hosts must make a new payment claim when their guest’s Homes for Ukraine permission ends. This provides councils with an opportunity to contact the host and confirm that the guest remains in residence and to apply the policy announced in October 2024 that close family members should no longer be entitled to thank you payments.

From 1 April 2025, the Government has set a flat rate for all thank you payments to sponsors of guests on HfU and UPE of £350 per month, regardless of how long the guest has been in the UK.

Eligible sponsors in Wychavon can receive £600 a month for Ukrainian guests granted an 18-month UPE visa

Wychavon District Council has decided to top up the Government's £350 monthly payment with an extra £250 per month, ensuring eligible sponsors continue receiving a total of £600 per month for the financial year 2026/27, as previously provided from month 7 of the guest’s arrival.

These payments will be reviewed in line with any Government changes to UPE and will be stopped after the 18-month extension period ends or if the sponsorship ends before the 18-month period.

Information for sponsors

When a guest applies for the UPE scheme while still living with a host, they must submit a new claim for thank you payments, hosts must request a form by emailing: 
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

On receipt of the claim, we will continue to make thank you payments provided that the:

• Accommodation meets minimum statutory housing standards
• Guest is not paying rent to the host
• Guest is not working for the host in exchange for accommodation
• UPE visa is granted within six months of the HfU visa's end date, or a UPE application is in progress
• Guest's previous visa was under the Homes for Ukraine scheme
• Guest and host are not in a close family relationship

Hosts should inform the Homes for Ukraine team at Wychavon of any changes related to sponsorship arrangements and when their guest’s UPE permission expires by emailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Information for guests

Guests applying for the UPE visa and still living with a sponsor must keep the Homes for Ukraine team at Wychavon updated on their application and let them know the outcome as soon as they have received notification that the UPE has been granted or rejected. 

Guests should also inform the Homes for Ukraine team at Wychavon when their UPE permission expires.

Council tax during UPE

Sponsors/hosts will not lose council tax discounts or exemptions because of hosting a UPE permission holder. Where a former Homes for Ukraine permission holder remains in sponsorship during their UPE permission, they will be disregarded for the purposes of council tax discounts, and any exemption applying to their accommodation will remain in place for as long as their host is eligible for a thank you payment.