Ukraine: information for guests

£200 arrival one-off payment

As a Ukrainian refugee, you are entitled to a one-off payment of £200 upon arrival. To claim this, either you or your host should email refugeesupport@suffolk.gov.uk once you are at their accommodation and use the title ‘Refugee £200 payment’ in the subject line. You will need to provide your name and either a contact email or mobile phone number, the address where you are living and your date of arrival. If you have children, please provide their names but your email address or phone number.

You will receive 1 e-voucher per person (for example, if you have 2 children, you will receive 3 e-vouchers. The vouchers all look the same, so you need to open all three text messages or emails in order to access all 3 e-vouchers). The e-voucher link can be opened directly from the text or email; there is no need to download the Wonde app, but if you have any difficulty opening the e-vouchers, please email us at refugeesupport@suffolk.gov.uk. 

The e-vouchers can be cashed at Post Offices, and you can choose to cash all three at the same time, or separately on different dates. Please note that it can take up to 3 working days for the Post Office computer system to be able to recognise and redeem the voucher number and provide the cash payment. This means, for instance, that any e-vouchers we request on a Friday are not live on the Post Office system before the following Tuesday.

Universal Credit / Pension Credit

It is important that you make a claim for Universal Credit or Pension Credit (depending on your age) as soon as you arrive in the UK. This monthly payment will help with your living costs.

If you are claiming as a couple and only one partner is over pension age, you should both claim Universal Credit. The partner who is above pension age will be moved into the 'No Work Related Requirements' group. When both partners are over pension age, you can claim Pension Credit.

The easiest way to make a new Universal Credit application is online with GOV.UK. You can also call 0800 328 5644 for advice. 

Other Financial support

You may also be eligible for other financial support including Housing Benefit, Personal Independence Payment, Child Disability Living Allowance, Carers Allowance and/or Attendance Allowance, depending on your situation. Visit the Government website to find out what you are entitled to.

Opening a UK bank account

To receive Universal Credit and other benefits, you will need to open a bank account. You can do this by visiting any bank.

A number of high street and online banks are offering accounts for Ukrainian guests specifically.

Whichever bank you choose, when you go to open your bank account you will need to take the documents that show your identity, immigration status and address.

National Debtline

The National Debtline offers free, confidential and independent advice about debt and money problems. Telephone 0808 808 4000 or visit the National Debtline website.

Citizens Advice

You can get advice on issues including benefits, employment, immigration, debt and legal advice from your local Citizens Advice centre. They also offer a Help to Claim scheme that can support you to apply for benefits. Visit the Citizens Advice website or call 03444 111 444

Suffolk County Council is offering a one-off Independent Living Payment of £2,000 to Ukrainian guests who are part of the Homes For Ukraine Scheme and are leaving their host accommodation and moving into their own home. In order to issue this payment certain criteria must be met and Suffolk County Council will ask to see a copy of a valid, signed and dated (by both parties) legal tenancy agreement in the guest’s name.

In order to receive payment Ukrainian guests will need to meet the following criteria:

• Guests must be moving directly from their Suffolk host or sponsor into the first independent housing after the 1 of April 2023. (tenancy agreements dated before this date are not eligible)
• Guests must be registered on the Homes for Ukraine sponsorship scheme.
• Guests must have been living with a sponsor or host under the Suffolk Homes for Ukraine scheme for a minimum of two months.
• You have a valid, current UK bank account in your own name. (applications which do not match the bank details will not be eligible)
• You are able to provide a signed, correctly dated and current tenancy agreement for the address you are claiming for in the name of the applicant. The tenancy agreement must be attached to the application and be for a minimum of 6 months.
• Only one claim can be made per new household moving into independent living accommodation.
• This form must be completed in full, with the claimants’ details, must be signed and dated and the tenancy agreement must be attached in full.
• You have not made a successful claim in the past
• Suffolk County Council reserves the right to claim back any Independent Living Payment made to guests who fail to leave the host or sponsor property to move into independent accommodation. All payments are subject to the guest meeting the set criteria and providing a valid, signed and dated legal tenancy agreement.

The funding can be used for purchasing items to support the move to independent accommodation. The new accommodation can be either furnished or unfurnished and can be situated out of Suffolk.

You can apply for the Independent Living Payment by downloading the form. Please send the completed application form and copy of your tenancy agreement to Suffolk County Council at refugeesupport@suffolk.gov.uk

If successful, the payment will be paid as part of the Homes for Ukraine standard monthly payment run on the second Wednesday of each month.

How the NHS works

How the NHS Works: Ukrainian version (PDF, 470KB)

How the NHS works: Russian version (PDF 470KB)

How the NHS works: English version (PDF, 581KB)

Using the NHS when moving to England

Find a Doctor

You can receive emergency treatment from a local doctor (called a General Practitioner or GP) for up to 14 days after your arrival without registering. After that, you need to register. Find out how to register with a doctor on the NHS website.

If you are pregnant, a GP can arrange an appointment with a midwife for you.

If you take regular medication, you will need to visit your new GP to get a prescription for this to continue. You should then take this prescription to a pharmacy or chemist to receive the medication. You may need to pay for prescription medicines. Pharmacists can also give free advice on treating minor health problems, such as colds and coughs. Find a pharmacy near you.

You can get free health advice from the NHS by phoning 111 (interpreter service available) or visit the NHS 111 website. 

Find a Dentist

Ukrainian nationals can register with a dentist as either an NHS patient or a private patient. Find a dentist near you.

If you are receiving Universal Credit, you should let the practice know and register as an NHS patient, then your check-ups and necessary treatments will be free. 

Emotional Wellbeing and Mental Health

The UK charity Barnardo's have set up a free Ukrainian Support Helpline, which is staffed by English, Ukrainian and Russian speakers. To get help and advice on a range of topics, call 0800 148 8586, Monday to Friday (10am to 8pm) and Saturday (10am to 3pm).

Psychology Tools has provided free resources about trauma and stress in Ukrainian, Polish and Russian. 

School staff may find these resources to welcome refugee children and families and help them to process the difficulties they have faced, published by our Psychology & Therapeutic Services team, useful.

Health information in other languages

The NHS has collated a range of health information that is available in different languages, including Ukrainian and Russian. The topics include babies, cancer, heart health and mental health. View health information in other languages.

Vaccine information infographic - English (PDF, 277KB)

Vaccine information infographic - Russian (PDF, 275KB)

Vaccine information infographic - Ukrainian (PDF, 275KB).

Citizens Advice

You can get advice on issues including benefits, employment, immigration, debt and legal advice from your local Citizens Advice centre. They also offer a Help to Claim scheme that can support you to apply for benefits. Visit the Citizens Advice website or call 03444 111 444.

Migrant Help UK

Migrant Help UK provides advice and support to asylum seekers, refugees and victims of modern slavery and trafficking. Telephone: 0808 801 0503, email info@migranthelpuk.org or visit the Migrant Help UK website.

Modern Slavery & Exploitation Helpline

This helpline provides information and remediation support to people who have suffered labour exploitation and labour abuse. Telephone: 08000 121700.

Refugee Council

The Refugee Council provides support and advice to refugees and asylum seekers. Telephone: 0207 346 6700 or visit the Refugee Council website 

Suffolk Refugee Support

Suffolk Refugee Support provide help for refugees and asylum seekers, including free advice sessions and dedicated activities. Telephone: 01473 400785 or visit the Suffolk Refugee Support website.  

Ukrainian Embassy 

Embassy of Ukraine to the United Kingdom

You can apply for a school place for your child as soon as you arrive. Starting school can help children settle in and make friends. You can apply yourself or ask your host to help you. You can apply for your child to start in the new school year in September or in the middle of the school year by using the links below.

Applications for school places for refugee pupils should be made to the School Admissions Team for community and voluntary controlled schools, or to academies and voluntary aided schools directly.

Applying for a school place

Find out about applying for a school place.

Applying for a school place during the school year

Find information about making an in-year application. 

Home to school transport

Some children are eligible for free home to school transport. To find out more and apply, visit the Suffolk on Board website.

Free school meals

Children in the school years Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 automatically get free school meals. Children in Year 3 or above may be eligible for free school meals. This includes if their parent is receiving Universal Credit.

Find out more information or apply for free school meals.

Childcare

Ukrainian nationals can get advice and support to find childcare from our Family Information Service. 

Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND)

If your child has special educational needs or disabilities (SEND), you can find information about the help available to them in Suffolk at the Suffolk Local Offer website. 

Suffolk SENDIASS also provide advice to parents of children with SEND. You might find their ‘What is SEN’ and ‘How we can help you’ leaflets, translated into different languages including Ukrainian, helpful. 

After you have been with your host for 4 months you should expect to have a conversation with them about staying with them beyond 6 months. Sponsors originally sign up for 6 months and they are under no obligation to continue to 12 months. Their circumstances may have changed and they may ask you to look for alternative accommodation.

You may not be ready to move to your own accommodation and wish to find a new host on the Homes for Ukraine scheme that will offer you a room in their home. This guide sets out what you need to do. If you wish to stay in the same area you could contact local faith groups, community groups or the original charity that helped you, to find out if new hosts are available. If you find a new host, check with them that they are registered on the Homes for Ukraine scheme as this will be important if that new host wishes to be paid the £375 thank you payment.

Any host you go to will be entitled to £525 thank you payment per month once you have been in the UK for 12 months.

You may wish to look for a host in another part of the UK. Suffolk County Council will not be able to help you find a new host in an area outside of Suffolk. When you find a new host, please ask them to email refugeesupport@suffolk.gov.uk so that Suffolk County Council can contact the new council to seek their agreement to the rematch and to ensure the necessary checks are made and the new living arrangements are suitable.

If you are struggling to find a new host on the Homes for Ukraine scheme (for example in the local area where you already have children at a local school) then you can contact Suffolk County Council at refugeesupport@suffolk.gov.uk for help but due to the availability of hosts, the County Council may not be able to meet location and timescale requests.

At the 10-month stage, as you are coming up to living in the UK for a year, Suffolk County Council will carry out a further welfare check and ask for an update on the plans for your stay after 12 months. We will contact the host via email with a questionnaire and we will send you a request to book a telephone call with one of our casework team. It is very important that we speak with you at this stage and would be grateful if you could reply with a suitable date for us to call you.

English text version -Information for guests who have hosts who at 6 months do not wish to continue to host  (doc, 1.33MB)

Ukrainian text version - Information for guests who have hosts who at 6 months do not wish to continue to host (doc, 58KB)

Russian text version - Information for guests who have hosts who at 6 months do not wish to continue to host  (doc, 46KB)

Move to the rented sector - a short guide 

The Government have published a guide to help you understand how to rent in England, available in Ukrainian and Russian, if you are ready to move out of sponsorship into independent accommodation. There is also a briefing note from Suffolk County Council on the rented sector available in Ukrainian and Russian. If you need support with a deposit, please speak to your local district council who may be able to help with this.

If you live in Babergh, East Suffolk, Ipswich, or Mid Suffolk please visit HomeChoice

If you live in West Suffolk, please visit Home-Link

General guidance is available: Your living arrangements 4 to 6 months after moving to the UK - GOV.UK

Ukrainian refugees who come to the UK under the Homes for Ukraine scheme will receive a visa giving you the right to remain for an initial period of three years. You will have the right to work, to receive public funds such as Universal Credit, and access to public services such as schools and health care. 

It’s important that you know your rights and entitlements if you do work.

Workers Rights Leaflet – Ukrainian version

Modern Slavery & Exploitation Helpline

This helpline provides information and remediation support to people who have suffered labour exploitation and labour abuse. Telephone: 08000 121700.

There are a number of places in Suffolk that offer English courses for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL). These include:

• West Suffolk College
• Suffolk New College
• Realise Futures
• Ipswich Community Media
• Suffolk Refugee Support
• PHOEBE
• Oasis English Language School

You will have an assessment first to see which level of provision would best meet your needs. 

The Open University offers free online resources for Ukrainians settling in the UK.

From free courses in the English language to articles on mental health and wellbeing, visit The Open University to find out more. 

Suffolk County Council are aware that there are a growing number of potential scams aimed at Ukraine Guests, below is a guide on how to protect yourselves and identify potential scammers.

Language Apps and Resources

Please note: external resources, tools and apps may not be accessible to users of assistive technology. Suffolk County Council has not checked and is not responsible for the content of third-party websites and apps.

Ukraine Unlimited 

You may find the Ukraine Unlimited app helpful, which offers a range of free reading, listening and other material for children and adults in both English and Ukrainian. You can download it via the Google Play Store (Ukraine Unlimited Learning – Apps on Google Play) or the Apple App Store (Ukraine Unlimited Learning - Apps on the Apple Store)

English with Ukrainians

English with Ukrainians, set up by teachers from the University of Kharkiv, have made over 20 hours of English lessons available for free on YouTube. Visit the English with Ukrainians channel. 

Transport

Rail operators are providing Ukrainian refugees with a single onward journey via National Rail free of charge on arrival in Great Britain to their final destination. You have 48 hours to make your onward journey. You only need to show a Ukrainian passport and a boarding pass or ticket showing arrival into the country within the last 48 hours. All the information is on the National Rail Enquiries website in both English and Ukrainian.

Connecting Communities is a transport service provided by Suffolk County Council designed to help people travel around the county of Suffolk who might not have access to a regular bus service. 

If you have a Ukrainian driving licence, you can exchange it for a UK licence for a small fee, as Ukraine has an exchange agreement with the UK. Find out how to exchange a foreign driving licence on GOV.UK.

Food

Food banks can provide you with free food and other essential items. Visit Trussell Trust to find a local food bank 

Phones and connectivity

The mobile phone provider Three is offering a package for Ukrainian refugees arriving in the UK with a free, 30 day, pay-as-you-go SIM card, unlimited UK calls and texts and free calls and texts from the UK to Ukraine.

Virgin Media O2 have removed data charges for data use in Ukraine and will credit charges for calls and texts to and from Ukraine and the UK for their customers. 

Fire Safety in the home 

Fire safety leaflet in Ukrainian (PDF, 3578KB)

Fire safety leaflet in English (GOV.UK)

Council Tax rules are different in each nation of the United Kingdom. If you live in England, Wales or Scotland and move out of sponsored accommodation into privately rented property or a home of your own, you are likely to become liable for paying Council Tax. The amount you will have to pay will depend on the number of persons in the household, and their circumstances. This could also include the nature of their immigration permission. Your local council can advise you on how much you will have to pay, and the reasons. You can find the details of your local council here, you will need the postcode of the new property you are moving to.

Сплата муніципального податку

Правила муніципального оподаткування відрізняються в кожній країні Сполученого Королівства. Якщо ви живете в Англії, Уельсі чи Шотландії та переїжджаєте зі спонсорованого житла в приватну орендовану нерухомість або власне житло, ви, швидше за все, будете зобов'язані сплачувати муніципальний податок. Сума, яку вам доведеться заплатити, залежатиме від кількості осіб у домогосподарстві та їхніх обставин. Це також може включати характер їхнього дозволу на імміграцію. Місцева рада може проконсультувати вас щодо суми, яку вам доведеться заплатити, та причин. Детальну інформацію про місцеву раду ви можете знайти тут, вам знадобиться поштовий індекс нового об'єкта нерухомості, до якого ви переїжджаєте.

Уплата муниципального налога

Правила муниципального налога различаются в каждой стране Соединенного Королевства. Если вы живете в Англии, Уэльсе или Шотландии и переезжаете из спонсируемого жилья в частную арендуемую недвижимость или собственный дом, вы, скорее всего, будете обязаны платить муниципальный налог. Сумма, которую вам придется заплатить, будет зависеть от количества человек в семье и их обстоятельств. Это также может включать в себя характер их разрешения на иммиграцию. Ваш местный совет может проконсультировать вас о том, сколько вам придется заплатить, и о причинах. Вы можете найти подробную информацию о вашем местном совете здесь, вам понадобится почтовый индекс новой недвижимости, в которую вы переезжаете.

Suffolk County Council will conduct a welfare visit within 2 weeks of your arrival with your new host. This is to ensure you have all the information necessary to settle in the UK. It is an opportunity to ask any questions you may have and we will outline the support available to you.

Once you have been with your host for 4 months, we will conduct another check. This is to ensure you are being supported and have everything you need. We will also begin to talk to you about your next steps. These checks are in-person appointments.

When you have been with your host for 10 months, we will arrange a call to check in with you and your host. Again, this is to ensure you are well settled and answer any questions you may have, and follow up on plans for independent accommodation.

At 18 months after your arrival in the UK we will conduct a further check in with you to ensure you are being supported and have all the information you need to progress living independently.

We will work with you throughout the check-ins to form a tailored plan. We can use this plan to signpost you to support for housing, as well as help you plan for your next steps.

At the start of the Homes for Ukraine scheme, the Home Office initially issued successful applicants with a Permission to Travel letter rather than a visa, and the visa application and biometrics had to be completed within 6 months of the guest arrival in the UK. This changed on 7 December 2023.

Permission to Travel letters did not have an ‘expiry date’ so there are a number of guests that have been issued PTT letters that have not yet entered the UK. The change is detailed below:

Guests who made their application prior to 7 December 2023 and chose not to attend a visa application centre overseas may be issued a permission to travel letter by UKVI confirming they can travel to the UK.

Permission to travel letters are only valid for travel to the UK until 12:01am on 13 February 2025. If an applicant arrives after this date with a permission to travel letter, they may be refused entry to the UK and removed.

• before travelling, those wishing to come to the UK using a permission to travel letter should contact their sponsor or UK-based family member to ensure they have suitable accommodation in place for their arrival.
• applicants should only travel to the UK if they have confirmed they have suitable accommodation arrangements in place for their safety and wellbeing.
• individuals can find out more information on the apply for a visa under the Homes for Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme webpage. 
• Individuals may wish to come to the UK under another route and will need to make a new application under that route. Further information can be found on the Gov.uk webpage How to apply for a visa to come to the UK.

The UK Government has introduced the Ukraine Permission Extension scheme (UPES). The scheme allows people currently living in the UK under an existing Ukraine Visa scheme to apply to extend their stay in the UK for a further 18 months when their valid Ukrainian visa expires.

The Ukraine Permission Extension Scheme (UPES) will open for applications on the 4 February 2025 at 09:00 am.

It is free to apply for the UPE scheme, and if your application is successful, you will be able to continue to live, work and study in the UK and access public funds.

It is important that you actively apply to extend your visa. (Please note – Your visa Will NOT be extended Automatically).

How and when to apply?

• Submit your application when you have 28 days or less left on your current permission.
• If you apply too early, your application may be rejected, and you would then need to reapply when your current permission has 28 days or less remaining.
• If you don't know the date when your current leave to remain ends, you can sign into your UKVI account to find out or refer to your permission letter to verify your visa’s expiry date.

• Applications can only be submitted while you are physically present in the UK.
• To get more information and apply for your extension, follow the instructions provided on the official UK government website Applying to the Ukraine Permission Extension scheme - GOV.UK

Please note

• You should not leave the UK while your UPE application is being processed. Leaving the country will result in the cancellation of your application.
• Transitioning to an e-Visa is not the same as extending your visa under the UPE.

If you have any questions about your current visa, UPES or your immigration status, you should contact, GOV.UK website, UKVI or a registered immigration adviser.

Guests with Homes for Ukraine Permission

The government has published additional guidance on UPES for Homes for Ukraine visa permission holders here Homes for Ukraine: Ukraine Permission Extension scheme - guidance for guests - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)