Homes for Ukraine hosts in Lewes, Seaford and Newhaven will get £350 a month to the end of March. The county council is covering the cut to £100 from January.
People in Lewes, Seaford, Newhaven, Peacehaven and the villages who host Ukrainian families will keep getting £350 a month until the end of March, although the government is cutting the payment to £100 from January 2027. East Sussex County Council, run from County Hall in Lewes, said on Thursday it will pay the difference itself. (East Sussex County Council, 5 November 2026)
The decision was agreed by Cllr Mark Estcourt, the county council’s lead member for adult social care and health.
What the government changed
The council said the government announced in September that the Homes for Ukraine “thank you” payment for hosts would fall from £350 to £100 a month from January 2027. Hosts were paid £500 a month before it was cut to £350. Councils will also get less money to run the scheme.
“Deeply concerning for many hosts and guests”
Cllr Estcourt said the size and timing of the cut, three months’ notice and straight after Christmas, would worry households:
“The government’s decision to reduce Homes for Ukraine thank you payments to £100 a month, with only three months’ notice and immediately after Christmas, will be deeply concerning for many hosts and guests who have opened their homes and supported Ukrainian families over the last four years.
“Many households have made long-term commitments based on the support available through the scheme, and a reduction of this scale risks creating uncertainty for both hosts and the Ukrainian families who rely on their generosity.
“While the government has chosen to reduce this funding, East Sussex County Council is doing everything it can to support those affected. By maintaining payments at £350 a month until the end of March, we hope this will help reduce some of that pressure, while allowing guests more time to secure suitable independent accommodation and make longer-term plans.”
New hosts get six months at £350
Anyone who takes in a newly arrived Ukrainian family will be guaranteed £350 a month for their first six months of hosting, the council said. The existing eligibility rules for people holding a Ukraine Permission Extension visa still apply.
The council has not said how many hosts there are in Lewes district, what keeping the higher rate will cost, or what happens to payments for existing hosts after the end of March.
What it means for you
- If you already host anywhere in the Lewes district: your thank you payment stays at £350 a month from January to the end of March, rather than dropping to £100.
- If you are thinking of hosting a newly arrived family: you are guaranteed £350 a month for the first six months.
- Questions: the county council’s Homes for Ukraine Contact Centre supports hosts and guests. Email Ukraine@eastsussex.gov.uk, call 01273 337010, or see the council’s Homes for Ukraine page.
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