Asked by: Olivia Blake (Labour - Sheffield Hallam)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, how many Homes for Ukraine scheme hosts (a) qualify and (b) do not qualify to receive the increased thank you payment for the financial year 2023-2024.
Answered by Felicity Buchan
The information requested is not held centrally.
Asked by: Olivia Blake (Labour - Sheffield Hallam)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will publish the number of Homes for Ukraine hosts who (a) qualify to receive the increased thank you payment and (b) do not qualify to receive the increased thank you payment because their guests have not been in the UK for more than 12 months for the 2023-24 financial year.
Answered by Felicity Buchan
The information requested is not held centrally.
Asked by: Olivia Blake (Labour - Sheffield Hallam)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps he is taking to ensure greater consistency in the support provided to Ukrainian refugees and their hosts across the two Visa Schemes; if he will extend the initial £200 interim payment to everyone arriving on the Ukraine Family Scheme in all UK nations; and if he will protect hosts on the Ukraine Family Scheme from increases in council tax bills as a result of hosting additional people.
Answered by Felicity Buchan
As announced in December 2022, all Homes for Ukraine sponsors will receive an increased 'thank you' payment of £500 a month once guests have been in the country for over a year. Where sponsorships can no longer continue for the financial year 2023/24, all councils will receive help to house Ukrainians through a one-off pot of government funding worth £150 million. The guidance and breakdown of the £150 million funding by local authority can be accessed here.
This money can be used flexibly to support Ukrainians into the private rented sector, amongst other things. For instance it can be used to provide deposits or rent advances, or to offer guarantees.
Ukrainians arriving under both the Homes for Ukraine Scheme and the Ukraine Family Scheme have the same entitlement to work, pensions, health provision, education, and access to benefits. These are effective from as soon as a Ukrainian guest has a valid visa and arrives in the UK. Both schemes provide a right to remain for three years.
Asked by: Olivia Blake (Labour - Sheffield Hallam)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on bringing forward the increase of the monthly payment for hosts on the Homes for Ukraine scheme before people have been in the UK for 12 months, and whether such payments will be extended to hosts on the Family Visa Scheme.
Answered by Felicity Buchan
As announced in December 2022, all Homes for Ukraine sponsors will receive an increased 'thank you' payment of £500 a month once guests have been in the country for over a year. Where sponsorships can no longer continue for the financial year 2023/24, all councils will receive help to house Ukrainians through a one-off pot of government funding worth £150 million. The guidance and breakdown of the £150 million funding by local authority can be accessed here.
This money can be used flexibly to support Ukrainians into the private rented sector, amongst other things. For instance it can be used to provide deposits or rent advances, or to offer guarantees.
Ukrainians arriving under both the Homes for Ukraine Scheme and the Ukraine Family Scheme have the same entitlement to work, pensions, health provision, education, and access to benefits. These are effective from as soon as a Ukrainian guest has a valid visa and arrives in the UK. Both schemes provide a right to remain for three years.
Asked by: Olivia Blake (Labour - Sheffield Hallam)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will provide a breakdown of how the £150 million of UK-wide funding in the 2023/24 financial year for local authorities and devolved governments to help Ukrainians move into their own homes has been spent and allocated as of 2 June 2023.
Answered by Felicity Buchan
As announced in December 2022, all Homes for Ukraine sponsors will receive an increased 'thank you' payment of £500 a month once guests have been in the country for over a year. Where sponsorships can no longer continue for the financial year 2023/24, all councils will receive help to house Ukrainians through a one-off pot of government funding worth £150 million. The guidance and breakdown of the £150 million funding by local authority can be accessed here.
This money can be used flexibly to support Ukrainians into the private rented sector, amongst other things. For instance it can be used to provide deposits or rent advances, or to offer guarantees.
Ukrainians arriving under both the Homes for Ukraine Scheme and the Ukraine Family Scheme have the same entitlement to work, pensions, health provision, education, and access to benefits. These are effective from as soon as a Ukrainian guest has a valid visa and arrives in the UK. Both schemes provide a right to remain for three years.
Asked by: Olivia Blake (Labour - Sheffield Hallam)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps Department has taken to support local authorities to implement rent deposit and rent guarantor schemes to help displaced Ukrainians to access accommodation in the private rented sector.
Answered by Felicity Buchan
As announced in December 2022, all Homes for Ukraine sponsors will receive an increased 'thank you' payment of £500 a month once guests have been in the country for over a year. Where sponsorships can no longer continue for the financial year 2023/24, all councils will receive help to house Ukrainians through a one-off pot of government funding worth £150 million. The guidance and breakdown of the £150 million funding by local authority can be accessed here.
This money can be used flexibly to support Ukrainians into the private rented sector, amongst other things. For instance it can be used to provide deposits or rent advances, or to offer guarantees.
Ukrainians arriving under both the Homes for Ukraine Scheme and the Ukraine Family Scheme have the same entitlement to work, pensions, health provision, education, and access to benefits. These are effective from as soon as a Ukrainian guest has a valid visa and arrives in the UK. Both schemes provide a right to remain for three years.
Asked by: Olivia Blake (Labour - Sheffield Hallam)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, for what reasons guidance on the eligibility criteria for the Levelling Up Fund (a) changed from constituency area to local authority area and (b) was made public after the bidding process was complete; and what assessment he has made of the potential financial impact of changes to the eligibility criteria on applicants deemed ineligible.
Answered by Dehenna Davison
I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave to Question UIN 129836 on 26 January 2023.
Asked by: Olivia Blake (Labour - Sheffield Hallam)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what his Department's definition of a deregulated planning process is; what planning process will be used inside investment zones; and whether that process will be used outside them.
Answered by Lee Rowley
Policy announcements will be made in the usual way.
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Asked by: Olivia Blake (Labour - Sheffield Hallam)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if his Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of opening the Homes for Ukraine scheme to Ukrainians who arrive under the Family Scheme Visa to enable families that cannot stay with other family members due to overcrowding, potential risks and safeguarding concerns in current housing to benefit from the Homes for Ukraine scheme in the medium-term and avoid homelessness.
Answered by Eddie Hughes
I refer the Hon Member to the answer to Question UIN 284 on 16 May 2022.
Asked by: Olivia Blake (Labour - Sheffield Hallam)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, when the Renters Reform white paper will be published; and what plans he has to bring forward legislative proposals on Renters Reform.
Answered by Eddie Hughes
We are absolutely committed to delivering a better deal for renters and will be bringing forward a Renters Reform Bill in this parliamentary session.
We will publish a White Paper shortly that will set out more detail on our reform proposals.