A UK Government website for a new scheme to allow Britons to house Ukrainians fleeing Russia’s invasion has gone live.

Hosts, who can register their interest through homesforukraine.campaign.gov.uk , will receive £350 a month from the UK Government in order to house Ukrainian refugees for a minimum of six months.

There is no official cap on the number of Ukrainians who could be rehoused, with the site adding: “We will welcome as many arrivals as possible, based on the number of sponsors.”

Who is eligible to host?

At present, people are eligible to be hosts if they can provide rent-free “residential rooms or unoccupied self-contained residential units” for Ukrainians to live in for a minimum of six months.

Local councils will be responsible for checking that the accommodation “is appropriate in the circumstances”.

Hosts can be of any nationality and any immigration status, providing they have at least six months’ leave to remain in the UK.

Sponsors, and all adults in sponsoring households, will be subject to security checks and may be subject to safeguarding checks if they house families with children.

Who is eligible to find a home?

Those eligible to be housed under the scheme are Ukrainian nationals and the immediate family member of Ukrainian nationals, who were residents in Ukraine prior to 1 January 2022.

Like sponsors, those travelling to the UK will be subject to “standard security checks”.

At present, to apply under the scheme Ukrainians must already be in touch with a host who is willing to sponsor them, as there is no official matching service.

However, some charities have launched efforts to match up potential sponsors and refugees.

Extra information:

The UK Government adds: “We know our charities, faith groups, universities will have extensive networks with communities and individuals across Europe. We will be working closely with all of them to ensure people who want to help are matched to people from Ukraine.”

The scheme stipulates that anyone with “a spare room, or separate self-contained accommodation that is unoccupied” can help, though it “must be available for at least 6 months, be fit for people to live in, and suitable for the number of people to be accommodated.”

Hosts “should not charge any rent” to refugees and are only expected to provide accommodation and not meals, the guidance adds, with “eligibility checks” expected “which may well include a visit to your home.”