People who offer accommodation to Ukrainian refugees will receive a “thank you” payment of £350 per month from the government it has been announced

The Homes for Ukraine scheme calls on people to offer a spare room or an empty property to a refugee for a period of at least six months.

Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove urged people to join the “national effort” and give a safe home to those in need.

Applications would be made online, with both sponsors being vetted and refugees having to go through security checks. The sponsor would get a “thank you” payment of £350 a month.A website will be launched tomorrow

Gove said: “The crisis in Ukraine has sent shock waves across the world as hundreds of thousands of innocent people have been forced to flee their homes, leaving everything they know and love behind.

The UK stands behind Ukraine in their darkest hour and the British public understand the need to get as many people to safety as quickly as we can.”

Commenting on the announcement Wigan MP and Shadow levelling up Secretary Lisa Nandy said that Ministers must reduce all unnecessary bureaucracy facing desperate Ukrainians.

“People fleeing Putin cannot be expected to provide excessive documentation and wait months in freezing conditions while it is verified.”

She said that she welcomed this scheme but urgently need more detail.

“Are we really asking desperate Ukrainians and British sponsors to find each other online, dating app-style?”

She added that for the scheme to work, the Government must engage councils and charities.

“They will be at the heart of making this scheme work and they know what can be done, but incredibly they haven’t been asked yet”.

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