Ukraine house guests

sourpuss2021

steampowered said:

Plenty of people take in strangers as lodgers. You see posts on MSE all the time encouraging people to take in lodgers to help pay for their mortgage. 

I don't think how taking in a Ukrainian refugee is much different to taking on a lodger. 

Thinking about the implications of an agreement coming to an end.  It must surely be the case that the sponsorship agreement under which the Ukrainians are staying in the UK, does not end if they are no longer living with the host?   However the host would have a duty to inform the government so that the monthly payment stops. 

I'd expect the Ukrainians would be able to reapply to be rehoused with a different host.  Because they would still meet the criteria for eligibility that they had been resident in Ukraine before 1st January 2022.    Or since they now had permission to be in the UK for three years, they could alternatively move into privately rented accomodation if they had the resources for it.

TripleH

Concentrating them (sorry not a great word in these events) and providing support / assessing needs at the start is a better answer.

Culturally and linguistically there is a big difference between here and the Ukraine and the last thing you should do is release en masse a group of traumatised people in alien conditions. (That applies to all refugees from war).

BrownTrout

I wonder how this will affect the 25% single person discount for council tax.....

MobileSaver

TripleH said:

I view it as a type of rent a room variant, but haven't read the small print.

It's not rent-a-room, it's not designed as a money making exercise but just as a way to encourage/help people who want to do their bit for Ukraine.

babyblade41 said:

They will want to return as soon as it is safe to do so , but just putting them up in private homes isn't the best solution IMHO

It may not be the best solution but it's quick and easy to set up, helps people who want to help and spreads the load across the entire UK rather than introducing tens of thousands of refugees to just Dover or Folkstone.

BrownTrout

BrownTrout said:

I wonder how this will affect the 25% single person discount for council tax.....

My local city council have advised the discount would be lost..... but could one then apply for second adult rebate.......

TripleH

Sorry, my bad. For tax purposes I would view the money received falling under the rent a room scheme.

Just to say, the Russian people I met when I went over there were very nice and friendly. When information is restricted so becomes people's views.

MobileSaver

TripleH said:

For tax purposes I would view the money received falling under the rent a room scheme.

I couldn't find anything on official gov.uk sites but numerous big-name news media are specifically stating it is "tax-free" so I'm guessing this was mentioned in the press releases they've received from the government.

Niv

JuzaMum said:

Niv said:

A chap on the radio said he had contacted his insurer regarding taking in Ukrainian house guests and was told by them that he would not be insured for any loss or damage they cause. He didn't name the insurer (or I cannot recall it), but I do not know if this is a one off insurer that has taken this stance or if this may be more commonplace. 

Would damage caused by UK guests be covered? 

I have no idea. I was just passing on what i had heard. But possibly not which basically means it makes no difference how they become your house guest.

Niv

steampowered said:

Plenty of people take in strangers as lodgers. You see posts on MSE all the time encouraging people to take in lodgers to help pay for their mortgage. 

I don't think how taking in a Ukrainian refugee is much different to taking on a lodger. 

I think its quite a lot different. For example you are at a much higher risk of taking someone in with PTSD. Also when you are taking in a lodger you can compel them to leave with minimal notice but this scheme (as reported on radio) says that you must commit to allowing them to stay for 6 months. 

I am not against the idea of taking in Ukrainian refugees I am just adding thoughts to help people realise there are other factors that should be considered before jumping into this.

Gavin83

JuzaMum said:

Niv said:

A chap on the radio said he had contacted his insurer regarding taking in Ukrainian house guests and was told by them that he would not be insured for any loss or damage they cause. He didn't name the insurer (or I cannot recall it), but I do not know if this is a one off insurer that has taken this stance or if this may be more commonplace. 

Would damage caused by UK guests be covered? 

Probably not. However I'd expect most people to know British guests who they invite into their house, or in the case of a lodger having vetted them. Neither exist in this case. It would also be far easier to sue a British national if they were to damage your property.

steampowered said:

Plenty of people take in strangers as lodgers. You see posts on MSE all the time encouraging people to take in lodgers to help pay for their mortgage. 

I don't think how taking in a Ukrainian refugee is much different to taking on a lodger. 

Seems vastly different to me. Obvious language/cultural barrier, you generally don't take in children as part of a lodging agreement, no real idea of the number of people who'll end up at your house, the issues they're likely to be suffering from, no real end date, no idea who they are with no vetting and unlike taking in a lodger this certainly won't help towards the mortgage. I'm not sure what the £350 is meant to cover but I wouldn't be surprised if most people end up out of pocket.

I agree with babyblade41. Fair play to those who are willing to do it but there's no way I could. I wouldn't even take in a normal lodger. There are far too many potential issues and I suspect they'll be some people who'll end up regretting signing up to this scheme. I also agree this is the wrong way to go about it and housing them roughly together would be a better idea.