The UK – a home for Ukrainians? An analysis of social security and housing policy

Machin, R ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2296-2123, 2023. The UK – a home for Ukrainians? An analysis of social security and housing policy. Journal of Poverty and Social Justice. ISSN 1759-8273

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Abstract

This commentary discusses the ways in which the welfare system has responded to the financial and housing needs of Ukrainian citizens coming to the UK since the Russian invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022. The focus is on two key areas of policy: social security and housing. The article considers the revised eligibility criteria for welfare benefits and two policies which can provide accommodation: the Ukraine Family Scheme, which allows applicants to join family members in the UK, and the Ukrainian Sponsorship Scheme (known as ‘Homes for Ukraine’) which allows Ukrainian nationals to come to the UK if they have a sponsor who can provide accommodation for at least six months. It provides a comparison of the provision for Ukrainian refugees and the standard asylum system in the UK.

This article concludes that although the UK government quickly introduced emergency provisions for newly arrived Ukrainians which go beyond the scope of support for many other groups moving to the UK, significant areas of concern are evident, with risks that these will increase in future months and years. These concerns centre on discrepancies between the two policies which provide accommodation, risk of exploitation, homelessness caused by the breakdown in provision, and complexity in the welfare benefit system.

Item Type:	Journal article
Publication Title:	Journal of Poverty and Social Justice
Creators:	Machin, R.
Publisher:	Bristol University Press
Date:	16 March 2023
ISSN:	1759-8273
Identifiers:	Number Type 10.1332/175982723x16770921278736 DOI 1752036 Other
Rights:	Copyright: © Policy Press 2023.
Divisions:	Schools > School of Social Sciences
Record created by:	Linda Sullivan
Date Added:	19 Apr 2023 10:53
Last Modified:	19 Apr 2023 10:53
URI:	https://irep.ntu.ac.uk/id/eprint/48779

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