Ukrainian refugees and UK hosts

Welcome payment, immigration and jobs

£200 welcome payment

Sponsors are emailed a unique link to a Leicestershire County Council web page via which they can advise the county council of their guest arrival information, including the date, as soon as possible after their arrival. This will help to ensure that their guest(s) receive their £200 welcome payment as soon as possible after arrival.

Sponsors need to complete the information as the first guest arrives and update the county council for each guest if they arrive on different dates.

To use the form sponsors will be asked to create a Leicestershire County Council ‘Self’ account to allow them to easily track what they have told the county council about their guests arriving. In the form, sponsors can also indicate if they wish to receive their optional monthly sponsor thank you payments for accommodating their guest(s) as part of the Homes For Ukraine scheme. If making a claim, sponsors will be asked to provide their banking details for payments.

 

Registering for social housing

If you are looking to settle in the Harborough district, you can register for social housing on the council's housing register, Harborough Homes.

 

Immigration information for Ukrainians in the UK

The Home Office has published new immigration information about the next steps Ukrainians need to take after arriving in the UK. This includes information about what Ukrainians need to do to confirm their immigration status, and how to demonstrate their status to access work, and the benefits and services they are entitled to.

Translated versions will be available in Ukrainian and Russian shortly.

 

The Howard Watson Symington Memorial Charity grants to help Ukrainian refugees travel to Government visa centres

The trustees were made aware that Ukrainian refugees have to travel to Government visa centres to complete biometric tests and that travel costs were causing concern. They have agreed to provide one-off grants of £30 per refugee to help with travel costs in these circumstances.

The trustees can only help refugees resident in Market Harborough, Great Bowden, and Little Bowden. They understand that costs will vary depending on whether travel is by train or bus or car and they can't cover all those costs. However, they hope that the £30 grant for each refugee will go some way to make things easier.

Claims for the grant should be made as follows:

  • By email to hwsmcharity@gmail.com
  • Can be from a refugee, or someone (eg a host) on their behalf
  • Must contain the full name of each refugee claiming a grant
  • Must contain their address in Market Harborough, Great Bowden or Little Bowden
  • Must set out a statement about hardship to justify a grant
  • The grant, if approved, will be £30 per refugee
  • The grant will be paid by bank transfer into a nominated bank account
  • Must provide the bank account details following approval of a grant
  • Relationship with the refugee eg host, family, friend etc
  • All applications will be acknowledged within a week

The charity is run entirely by volunteers and so there are no office hours. Please bear this in mind when contacting trustees.

Other applications for support from local residents can be made online through the charity's website www.hwsmcharity.org.uk

 

Job Seeking Support

There is free support available to help people into work, training, or education. This includes help to:

  • create or adapt a CV
  • practice interview skills
  • build confidence
  • gain new skills
  • look and apply for jobs and careers

Check out the support available here: https://investinharborough.com/harboroughjobs/

Or email business@harborough.gov.uk

 

Job Club

Join the Job Club on the first Friday of every month! Harborough Jobs (Harborough District Council), the National Careers Service, Work Live Leicestershire and the Job Centre Plus will be there to offer a range of support including:

  • CV and interview skills
  • Job searching and applying techniques
  • Access to training and qualifications
  • Careers advice
  • Support with benefit claims

Drop in anytime between 12:30pm-4pm

Location: The Wycliffe Rooms, George Street, Lutterworth, LE17 4ED

Further information is at https://investinharborough.com/jobclub/

 

Job Fairs

Are you looking for a local job opportunity? Then don't miss the upcoming Job Fairs in the Harborough district.

Speak directly to employers about local vacancies and find your next job. Open to everyone. We will also be joined by training providers and career advisers.

*Lutterworth Job Fair

Location: Wycliffe Rooms, George Street, Lutterworth, LE17 4ED

Date: Friday 2 September 2022

Time: Drop-in anytime between 11am – 2pm

*Market Harborough Job Fair

Location: The Symington Building, Adam & Eve Street, Market Harborough, Leicestershire, LE16 7AG

Date: Thursday 15 September 2022

Time: Drop-in anytime between 11am – 2pm

 

Online resources

Welcome guide for Ukrainians arriving in the UK (link to PDF on external government website)

How the NHS works – Ukrainian – (link to Doctors of the World website. Please click on the first icon on the linked page)

How the NHS works – Russian – (link to Doctors of the World website. Please click on the first icon on the linked page)

Help for Ukrainian Nationals - Information and support for people from Ukraine, including the family migration visa and the Ukrainian family scheme, and wellbeing resources (link to British Red Cross website)

Factsheet (link to external government website. Translations available via buttons in top right of page)