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Refugees: Surrey Heath

Asked by Dr Al PinkertonLiberal DemocratMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled Answered 4 September 2025UIN 70064

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to support people under Ukrainian Permission Extension schemes in Surrey Heath constituency.

Answered by Alex Norris

We provide a tariff of £5,900 per Ukrainian arrival to councils. Councils can use this funding flexibly to support households as best suits the local area, including supporting guests to rebuild their lives and fully integrate into communities.

All Ukrainian guests have access to public services, including benefits to support housing, healthcare, education, as well as other essential services. The Citizens Advice Bureau can advise on which benefits individuals may be eligible for and how to apply for those.

Thank you payments have also been extended for sponsors/hosts under the Ukraine Permission Extension scheme. This allows sponsors/hosts to continue to support guests who wish to remain in sponsorship.

We recently closed a competitive tender process for the delivery of a new programme to continue our English language and employment support for Ukrainians and Hong Kong British Nationals (Overseas) visa holders. This programme will provide support for up to 4,000 individuals. This builds on the success of the STEP Ukraine pilot which has supported over 13,000 Ukrainians, with an impressive 84% successfully completing the programme and 73% achieving a 100% in their English language test.

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