Critics have blamed the British government for implementing a “two-tier system” for Ukrainians fleeing the war, which means some have no choice but to move away from relatives who want to host them. Britons hosting Ukrainians under the Homes for Ukraine program receive a monthly payment of £ 350 and an initial payment of £ 200 to help with the extra cost. But those who support family members under the family reunification program do not receive additional income from the government. Lauren Scott, executive director of Refugees at Home, said the charity was resettling Ukrainian refugees who could no longer stay with their relatives in the UK. He warned that because sponsors whose guests arrive in the UK via the family route are not entitled to additional financial support, refugees may face a change of accommodation many times over. “We decided early on that we would host people from Ukraine who have a family visa, because unfortunately, they do not meet the requirements for any of the perimeter services that [Homes for Ukraine] visa program offers, “he told i. “There is a real gap there. “The hosts are not eligible for this 350 350 payment, they are not eligible for support from the local authorities. “So there is a possibility that people participating in family visa programs will have to move more often between hosts until they find accommodation to move, while the sponsorship program is this six-month commitment.”
“I have spent more on food in three weeks than in the previous three months”
Phil Sheffield brought his fiancée Yana and his daughter Irma to the UK as part of the Family Reunion program, leading them to Poland to pick them up. Mr Sheffield, who runs a window cleaning business in Sussex, said his family’s hospitality had a “massive impact” financially. “I probably spent more in two or three weeks eating than I did in the previous two or three months,” he said. Mr Sheffield said the πληρω 350 monthly payment under the Homes for Ukraine program would have helped with women’s clothing, as he is the only one currently working. Phil and Gianna at her new home in Kent. (Photo: Claire Gilbody-Dickerson / iNews) “They only came with hand luggage,” he said. “They did not want to take too many things by train through Ukraine because it would take up space for children. So when they come here, they have nothing. “ He added: “The only thing I was able to get out of West Sussex County Council was a £ 120 voucher that we can spend on food at Tesco’s. That was the first thing we had and probably the last thing we would get. “ Mr Sheffield is also unclear about what the visa entitles the family to do and has conflicting information about its relationship to universal credit. “I could speak to the cherry tree I look at in my garden as Home Secretary, because no one knows what is going on,” he said. She is concerned that – unlike the Homes for Ukraine program – if Yana applies for Universal Credit, her income will be calculated as part of her application, resulting in a reduction in the amount she receives. The Ministry of Labor and Pensions has confirmed that a couple living together can not claim as a single person, as it is based on household income. If Mr. Sheffield and his fiancée claim as a couple, then their income will actually be taken into account in the normal way. Mr Sheffield said he felt punished for participating in the family visa and not in the Homes for Ukraine program, although that was the only option at the time. “The only reason we initially went with the family visa is because there was no other visa to continue,” he said. Ms Scott said 90 per cent of the 150 people from Ukraine supported by the charity have so far arrived through the family visa system. Juliet Saunders, CEO of Feeding Families, a Tyne and Wear-based organization that supports people living in food poverty, told me that she had already started helping donors struggling to meet the needs of the refugees they host. Ms Saunders said: “The family we had last week was a family of five and they came here to their son who has been in the UK for quite some time. So he brought them along with the family visa, but suddenly an unmarried man supported six people and said, “I want them here, but I can not do it.” “He took them, but he could not accommodate them, he could not feed them. So he came to access the support from here because he does not receive any additional help with it. “
What is the difference between the shapes?
The Family Reunion program allows those with close British relatives to obtain a UK visa. Shortly after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in late February, the government extended the regime, easing rules to allow more people to use the program to reach safety in the UK. About two weeks later, he launched the Homes for Ukraine program and allowed the British to grant Ukrainian refugees even if they did not know them personally. Many Britons have met Ukrainians on Facebook before submitting joint applications under the system. Once their guests arrive in the UK, their hosts are entitled to £ 350 per month plus an initial welcome payment of 200 200. But those who applied before the Homes for Ukraine program opened, using the family program, are not entitled to the same financial support. The organization was able to provide the Ukrainian family with about five boxes of food at a cost of about £ 100. And Ms Sanders said hosts could see their grocery bills increase by £ 30 a week if they took on the responsibility of feeding their guests. Ms Sanders also said the cost of heating was an issue. “People come here and find it very cold,” he said. “Some places are broken because the host says I can not heat the house with the cost of living and the cost of utilities here. It’s just not possible. “
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Andy Hewett, head of the Refugee Council’s defense department, warned that economic disparities could create a “two-tier system” for arrivals in Ukraine. “We are concerned about reports that some Ukrainians arriving on family visas are having problems,” he said. “Not all relatives will have the space or resources to support their family members – so there should be the same level of funding available to them and to local counselors provided under the Homes for Ukraine program. “Otherwise we will end up with what is actually a two-tier system.” A government spokesman said: “Thanks to the generosity of the public who offered their homes to Ukrainians fleeing the war and through our Ukrainian Family Plan, more than 71,800 visas have been issued with 21,600 Ukrainians arriving safely in the UK.” “The Home Office is processing thousands of visas a day – this shows that the changes we have made to streamline the service are working and we will continue to build on this success to speed up the process even further.”
