Super Sponsor Scheme and Homes for Ukraine: guidance for hosts

How the Scottish Super Sponsor Scheme works

The Scottish Government’s Super Sponsor scheme - which acts within the Homes for Ukraine scheme - helps displaced people from Ukraine apply for visas by removing the need for applicants to be matched to a host prior to being given permission to travel to the UK. For more information visit the UK Government’s Homes for Ukraine scheme: frequently asked questions page.

Upon arrival in Scotland temporary accommodation is arranged via the Welcome Hubs. These multi-agency centres provide a place to stay and meals in a safe and secure setting to address immediate wellbeing and protection concerns.

We have worked closely with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA) and local councils to put in place a matching service where the needs of the arriving guests can be assessed, and they can be matched up with a longer-term housing solution.

This may be a social or private rental property or a property that has been registered by a prospective host.

Prospective hosts who have registered an expression of interest in hosting will be contacted by the Scottish Government to provide further details about them and the home they’re offering.

Hosts in Scotland will be subject to a different level of person (disclosure) and property checks to people living in the rest of the UK. More information on these can be found in the section: checks and safeguarding. 

People are matched via a public sector matching service to accommodation that local authorities have checked in advance, removing the need for private matches to be in place before entering the country.

To use the Super Sponsor scheme, the applicant selects ‘The Scottish Government’ when asked for the name of their sponsor during their visa application. When people are provided with a visa, they can travel directly to Scotland.  At present, new applications naming the Scottish Government as the sponsor are paused but all existing visa holders can travel and will be supported as planned.

We recognise that this is likely to be the first time that you have hosted someone fleeing war and this guide sets out how this will operate in practice. As the situation evolves, this guidance will be regularly updated.

Eligibility

To meet the requirements to be approved as a sponsor you must:

• be over the age of 18
• be based in UK
• have at least six months permission to be in the UK (from the date of the beneficiary’s visa application)
• provide one of the following documents (must be valid):
  • UK Passport
  • Irish Passport or Passport Card
  • Biometric Residence Permit
  • Biometric Residence Card (issued to non-EEA family members granted leave under the EU settlement scheme).
  • Refugee Travel Document
  • an eVisa 'share code'
  • UK-issued photo driving licence
  • Irish-issued photo driving licence
  • Crown Dependency-issued photo driving licence
• confirm you can provide accommodation for a period of at least 6 months in Scotland
• make sure that all adults in the hosting household meet suitability requirements as set out in checks and safeguarding

Apply to host

You can apply to offer to host someone from Ukraine via an online form.

Thank you payment

You are able to claim an optional 'thank you' payments for 2 years for as long as you are hosting your guests and the accommodation provided is of a suitable standard. 

The amount of payment is linked to the guest and the length of time they have been in the UK. 

For guests who have been in the UK for up to 12 months, this payment is £350 per month. For guests who have been in the UK for more than 12 months, this payment is £500 per month.  This payment is limited to one monthly payment per residential address, regardless of the number of individuals sponsored.

Payments will stop when hosting ends.  If your guest moves out of your home for any reason, you must inform your local council as soon as possible, as you will no longer be eligible for the monthly payments.

If, after hosting ends, you take in another guest/family, you will receive further thank you payments for up to another 2 years.

This is a thank you payment and does not constitute a rental or any other kind of contractual payment and it will be paid in arrears. This payment will not be released until property and personal (disclosure) checks have been completed.

This payment is tax free and does not affect your entitlement to benefits or council tax status. Local authorities will make these payments on behalf of the UK Government.