Homes for Ukraine

Public Accounts Committee Closed Inquiry
Opened: 24 Oct 2023 Closed: 3 May 2024 Parliament page
Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the Government launched the Homes for Ukraine scheme. Under the scheme, people in the UK can act as sponsors for Ukrainian nationals and their families who are seeking refuge from the war. Individuals can be granted three-year visas to stay in … Read more
3 Recommendations
24 Conclusions
1 Report
1 Letter
Activity timeline 3 events
3 May
2024
Report published
23 Feb
2024
Report published
12 Jan
2024
Correspondence
Title HC No. Published Items Response
Fourteenth Report - Homes for Ukraine HC 69 23 Feb 2024 27 Responded
Recommendations & Conclusions
27 results
2 Conclusion Accepted
Fourteenth Report - Homes for Ukra…
Increase local authority homelessness data returns and secure adequate sponsors for Homes for Ukraine scheme.
We are concerned that the risk of homelessness among Ukrainians in the UK is likely to increase as more sponsorships end or break down. There is no obligation for UK sponsors to host Ukrainian guests for the whole time they … Read more
Government Response
The government agrees, stating it already undertakes a variety of actions to encourage new sponsors, including using an Expression of Interest portal, leveraging communication moments, and collaborating with partners. Councils also receive flexible tariff funding for support interventions.
HM Treasury
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3 Recommendation Accepted
Fourteenth Report - Homes for Ukra…
Set out actions to meet visa processing targets and publish quarterly updates on performance.
The Home Office’s failure to meet its targets for processing visas is leaving some Ukrainians facing an unacceptably long wait for decisions to be made on their applications. Initially visa turnaround times for the scheme were longer than the Home … Read more
Government Response
The Home Office has formally introduced a 15-working-day customer service standard for processing visas from February 2024, which will be published quarterly. It also has plans to reprioritise resources and leverage experienced caseworkers and systems to manage future surges in applications.
HM Treasury
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4 Conclusion Accepted
Fourteenth Report - Homes for Ukra…
Explain evidence for funding decisions and ensure robust basis for future scheme interventions.
DLUHC is making decisions about future funding of the scheme without a proper understanding of how effective funding has been in supporting those taking part in the scheme to date. Local authorities initially received funding of £10,500 per arrival. Since … Read more
Government Response
DLUHC uses a variety of sources, including ongoing engagement with voluntary community sector organisations and local authorities, and quarterly local authority spending reports, to inform funding decisions. The department will also continue to work with ONS and Home Office to collect survey information from both guests and hosts to build a robust evidence base.
HM Treasury
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5 Recommendation Accepted
Fourteenth Report - Homes for Ukra…
Set out plans to evaluate Homes for Ukraine scheme, including lessons and value for money.
The scheme was set up at speed and has helped 141,200 Ukrainians come to the UK, but DLUHC does not know fully what aspects of the scheme have or have not worked and whether overall the scheme has been value … Read more
Government Response
DLUHC is continuously monitoring data and evidence, has undertaken an exercise to identify lessons from the sponsorship model, and is developing an emergency sponsorship playbook for future schemes. It is also exploring options for a further value for money evaluation of the scheme.
HM Treasury
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6 Conclusion Deferred
Fourteenth Report - Homes for Ukra…
Require DLUHC to assess commercial options for Palantir contract expiry and justify any extension.
DLUHC has not yet assessed what it will do when its current contract with Palantir to provide the scheme’s main data system ends in September 2024. In order to set the scheme up quickly, in March 2022, DLUHC accepted an … Read more
Government Response
DLUHC is reviewing its commercial options for the Palantir contract, including a potential renewal, but cannot provide further details due to commercial sensitivity. It justified previous decisions by stating the Homes for Ukraine scheme fell under 'exceptional circumstances'.
HM Treasury
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1 Conclusion Accepted
Fourteenth Report - Homes for Ukra…
Committee examined DLUHC and Home Office evidence on Homes for Ukraine Scheme.
On the basis of a report by the Comptroller and Auditor General, we took evidence from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities (DLUHC) and the Home Office about the Homes for Ukraine Scheme.1
Government Response
The government announced the Ukraine Permission Extension Scheme on February 19, 2024, allowing existing visa holders to apply for an additional 18 months of permission to remain in the UK, with applications opening in early 2025. This scheme will offer the same rights and entitlements as existing Ukraine schemes.
HM Treasury
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7 Conclusion Accepted
Fourteenth Report - Homes for Ukra…
Home Office unable to provide firm date for Homes for Ukraine visa extension decisions.
We raised our concerns about the challenges facing Ukrainians whose visas are coming to an end. We also asked the Home Office when it thought it would make a decision so it could provide reassurance to those taking part in … Read more
Government Response
The government announced on 19 February 2024 that existing Ukraine scheme visa holders can apply for an additional 18 months' permission to remain under the new Ukraine Permission Extension Scheme, opening early 2025. This provides continued rights to work, benefits, healthcare, and education.
HM Treasury
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8 Conclusion Accepted
Fourteenth Report - Homes for Ukra…
Home Office initially lacked target turnaround times for Homes for Ukraine visa processing.
The Home Office is responsible for processing the visas of those applying to be part of the scheme. By January 2024 the Home Office had received 219,800 visa applications and issued 178,600 visas to people.11 The NAO found that at … Read more
Government Response
The Home Office has formally introduced a 15 working day customer service standard for Homes for Ukraine applications from February 2024, which will be published quarterly. This standard covers non-complex and some complex applications, with resources allocated to meet these targets and manage potential surges.
HM Treasury
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9 Conclusion Accepted
Fourteenth Report - Homes for Ukra…
Home Office adapted visa processes for Ukrainians, streamlining biometrics collection and application.
Prior to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, those applying for any type of UK visa had to attend a visa application centre to give their biometrics before they came to the UK. The Home Office told us that for obvious reasons … Read more
Government Response
The government has formally introduced a 15 working day customer service standard for Homes for Ukraine applications from February 2024, which will be published quarterly. It has also ensured sufficient resources and plans for future surges to meet these targets.
HM Treasury
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10 Conclusion Accepted
Fourteenth Report - Homes for Ukra…
Initial staff increase improved Homes for Ukraine visa processing, but turnaround times subsequently lengthened.
The Home Office also increased the number of people working on the Homes for Ukraine scheme. From a minimum of 165 staff working on the scheme in March 2022, this number grew to over 1,000 by June 2022 working across … Read more
Government Response
The government acknowledges the committee's implied recommendation regarding visa processing times and states it has implemented a formal 15-working-day customer service standard for Homes for Ukraine applications from February 2024, which will be published quarterly. It also ensures sufficient resources are in place and contingency plans exist for future application surges.
HM Treasury
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11 Conclusion Accepted
Fourteenth Report - Homes for Ukra…
Technical changes, application surges, and deferred cases contributed to slower visa processing.
The NAO reported that the Home Office believed several issues contributed to slower turnaround times. These included: technical changes to the application process; an influx of applications when the Scottish Government announced it would be pausing the super sponsorship scheme; … Read more
Government Response
The government has formally introduced a 15 working day customer service standard for Homes for Ukraine applications from February 2024, which will be published quarterly. It has also ensured sufficient resources and plans for future surges to meet these targets.
HM Treasury
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12 Conclusion Accepted
Fourteenth Report - Homes for Ukra…
Home Office increased resources and staff flexibility to maintain service across visa routes.
We were concerned about the impact of processing the volume of visa applications received as part of the Homes for Ukraine scheme would have on other visa routes. We therefore asked the Home Office what it was doing to ensure … Read more
Government Response
The government has formally introduced a 15 working day customer service standard for Homes for Ukraine applications from February 2024, which will be published quarterly. It has also ensured sufficient resources and plans for future surges to meet these targets.
HM Treasury
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13 Conclusion Accepted
Fourteenth Report - Homes for Ukra…
Home Office relies on resource flexibility and system standardisation to manage future visa surges.
We asked what would happen if there was a sudden surge in applications under the scheme and whether the Home Office would have sufficient capacity to support such a surge whilst maintaining standards of service in other areas of its … Read more
Government Response
The Home Office has formally introduced a 15 working day customer service standard for Homes for Ukraine applications from February 2024, to be published quarterly. It ensures sufficient resources are in place to meet targets and maintain surge capacity through flexible deployment and experienced caseworkers.
HM Treasury
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14 Conclusion Acknowledged
Fourteenth Report - Homes for Ukra…
DLUHC reduced per-person funding for local authorities, assuming decreased Homes for Ukraine setup costs.
Total central government funding for the scheme was £2.1 billion by the end of September 2023. DLUHC provided £1.9 billion of the funding, of which most (£1.1 billion) had gone to local authorities to support each Ukrainian on the scheme … Read more
Government Response
The government acknowledges the funding provided for the scheme and states that it will extend thank you payments and provide further funding to devolved administrations and local authorities for homelessness prevention.
HM Treasury
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24 Conclusion Accepted
Fourteenth Report - Homes for Ukra…
DLUHC's collected local authority spend data remains of questionable usefulness.
We questioned the usefulness of the spend data DLUHC had collected from local authorities, given it was often qualitative and provided voluntarily.19 DLUHC stressed that from the start it had needed to balance the demand for data against placing a … Read more
Government Response
DLUHC now requires local authorities to provide details on how they spend their tariff as part of the quarterly payments process, improving understanding for future funding decisions. The department continues to use various data sources and collaborate with partners to monitor the scheme and build a robust evidence base.
HM Treasury
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15 Conclusion
Fourteenth Report - Homes for Ukra…
DLUHC allocated substantial funding to local authorities for homelessness prevention and Ukrainian household support.
In December 2022, DLUHC announced £650 million of funding for local authorities through a Local Authority Housing Fund, of which £500 million was to acquire housing stock, and £150 million for homelessness prevention more widely. This funding aimed to assist … Read more
HM Treasury
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16 Conclusion Accepted
Fourteenth Report - Homes for Ukra…
DLUHC lacks accurate homelessness data for Ukrainian households due to incomplete local authority reporting.
The NAO found that DLUHC did not accurately know how many people on the scheme were likely to become homeless soon or had already experienced homelessness, as 30% of English local authorities regularly failed to provide homelessness data on the … Read more
Government Response
DLUHC has already taken action to improve local authority response rates for Ukraine homelessness data, achieving a 90% rate in February 2024 through engagement, reminders, and data imputation. The department will continue these efforts and utilize experts to understand local pressures.
HM Treasury
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17 Conclusion Accepted
Fourteenth Report - Homes for Ukra…
DLUHC data inadequately tracks duration and current numbers of Ukrainian households experiencing homelessness.
DLUHC told us that it would like to avoid any of those taking part in the scheme from experiencing homelessness or the risk of homelessness, but noted that the current levels were “relatively low”.26 The NAO found that between 24 … Read more
Government Response
The government states DLUHC has already improved local authority data collection on Ukraine homelessness, increasing response rates to 90% through close collaboration and reminders. It also imputes data for non-responding authorities to maintain an accurate picture.
HM Treasury
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18 Conclusion Accepted
Fourteenth Report - Homes for Ukra…
DLUHC acknowledges homelessness risks for Ukrainian households, relying on existing prevention funding.
DLLUHC told us that 790 Ukrainian households taking part in the scheme were currently in temporary accommodation, and 8% were either experiencing or at risk of experiencing homelessness at any particular time.28 We asked DLUHC how it would respond in … Read more
Government Response
The government reiterates its provision of £120 million UK-wide funding for homelessness prevention in 2024-25, following £150 million in 2023-24, which can be used to support all households, including Ukrainian families, at risk of homelessness.
HM Treasury
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19 Conclusion Accepted
Fourteenth Report - Homes for Ukra…
Government extended 'thank you' payments to Homes for Ukraine sponsors for a third year.
Any adult in the UK can act as a sponsor providing they pass eligibility checks conducted by the Home Office and local authorities. Sponsors are expected to offer accommodation for at least six months, although many relationships have lasted longer … Read more
Government Response
DLUHC has conducted detailed analysis using ONS survey data and other evidence, showing thank you payments offer good value for money compared to alternative accommodation options and support integration. The government also announced £120 million UK-wide funding for homelessness prevention in Autumn Statement 2023, which can support Ukrainian households.
HM Treasury
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20 Conclusion Accepted
Fourteenth Report - Homes for Ukra…
DLUHC lacks quantifiable data on extended 'thank you' payments' impact on host relationships.
DLUHC’s initial planning assumption had been that 50% of sponsorships could breakdown, leading to homelessness.32 We asked DLUHC what impact the decision to extend thank you payments would have on sustaining sponsor-host relationships and what analysis it had done to … Read more
Government Response
DLUHC has already conducted detailed analysis, using ONS survey data and other metrics, to understand the value for money and impact of thank you payments on sustaining sponsor-host relationships. This analysis informed their decision to extend payments and shows the scheme is more cost-effective than alternative accommodation options.
HM Treasury
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21 Conclusion Deferred
Fourteenth Report - Homes for Ukra…
DLUHC awarded direct contract to Palantir for data system after initial pro-bono period.
At the start of the scheme, DLUHC identified a need to share data between itself, the Home Office and local authorities, including data on the subsequent movement of Ukrainians after their arrival into the UK. DLUHC chose to accept an … Read more
Government Response
DLUHC is reviewing options for the Palantir contract ahead of its September 2024 expiry, potentially extending it until September 2025, but further details are commercially sensitive. The government reiterates that the initial contract fell under 'exceptional circumstances' due to urgency.
HM Treasury
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22 Conclusion Acknowledged
Fourteenth Report - Homes for Ukra…
DLUHC extended Palantir contract despite concerns about non-competitive initial pro-bono arrangement.
In February 2023, the Government’s Chief Commercial Officer wrote to Palantir noting his concern about the practice of offering services to public sector customers for a zero or nominal cost to gain a commercial foothold, contrary to the principles of … Read more
Government Response
The government clarified that the Chief Commercial Officer's concerns about zero-cost services did not specifically relate to Homes for Ukraine, which fell under exceptional circumstances due to the urgent need for a robust data platform.
HM Treasury
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23 Conclusion Deferred
Fourteenth Report - Homes for Ukra…
DLUHC remains undecided on future data solution, risking procurement delays post-Palantir contract.
The current contract with Palantir is due to end in September 2024. We therefore asked DLUHC what its plans were after 2024. DLUHC told us it would look “very closely” at next steps and would take a decision at the … Read more
Government Response
DLUHC is undertaking work to review options for the Palantir contract ahead of its September 2024 expiry, including a potential extension until September 2025. Further details are commercially sensitive, with a decision targeted by September 2024.
HM Treasury
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25 Conclusion Accepted
Fourteenth Report - Homes for Ukra…
DLUHC identifies lessons and develops playbook for future emergency sponsorship schemes.
The NAO found that in early 2023, DLUHC had conducted an exercise to identify the lessons that could be learned from the scheme’s sponsorship model. That exercise included recommendations to government on the running of the current scheme, and on … Read more
Government Response
The government states it is continuing its continuous evolution approach, monitoring data, undertaking lessons learned exercises, and developing an emergency sponsorship playbook with a target completion date of Spring 2025. It is also exploring options for a further value for money evaluation.
HM Treasury
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26 Recommendation Accepted
Fourteenth Report - Homes for Ukra…
DLUHC paused the planned Homes for Ukraine scheme evaluation, lacking a timeframe for completion.
We asked DLUHC whether it would be commissioning a fuller evaluation of the scheme. DLUHC had originally planned a process-focused evaluation, which it intended to complete by autumn 2023, but it paused work on this in spring 2023. DLUHC told … Read more
Government Response
The government states it is exploring options for a fuller value for money evaluation of the scheme, with a target implementation date of Spring 2025. It will continue to collect and monitor relevant data as part of its continuous evolution approach.
HM Treasury
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27 Conclusion Deferred
Fourteenth Report - Homes for Ukra…
Homes for Ukraine scheme provides better value for money despite incomplete cost calculations.
We asked DLUHC about the value for money of the scheme. DLUHC told us that it thought the cost of scheme was much lower than for other resettlement schemes. It explained that the cost per night of the accommodation was … Read more
Government Response
DLUHC continuously monitors scheme progress and has developed an emergency sponsorship playbook. The department is currently exploring options for a further value for money evaluation of the scheme, with a target implementation date of Spring 2025, while affirming the scheme's existing value for money.
HM Treasury
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Government Response AI assessment · 26 of 3 classified
Accepted 20
Acknowledged 2
Deferred 4
Total 3 recs + 24 conclusions
Correspondence 1 letter
12 Jan 2024 Correspondence from Sarah Healey CB CVO, Permanent Secretary, Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, re PAC Homes For Ukraine Oral Evidence Session: 23 November 2023, dated 7 December 2023
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