Policy paper

Communities for Afghans project: guidance for councils

Updated 17 March 2025

Roles and responsibilities of councils in the Communities for Afghans project.

1. What this guidance covers and definitions

These pages contain guidance for councils on the Communities for Afghans project. This information does not replace or contradict their statutory duties or responsibilities.

This guidance applies to councils supporting the Communities for Afghans scheme in the UK.

2. Overview of the Communities for Afghans project

The Communities for Afghans project is a sponsorship route for individuals from the Afghan Resettlement Programme, Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP), and the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS) cohorts. Communities for Afghans is designed to quickly deliver safe, affordable homes, making use of those with local expertise to correctly identify suitable properties without requiring the resources of councils. It is based on a community sponsorship model, enabling local community groups to welcome and support refugees directly in their local communities. As such, it operates differently from other resettlement programmes where tariffs are paid, and the expectations on councils are different to other resettlement programmes. 

Rather than having sole responsibility for the resettlement support of a family, councils share responsibility with the sponsor group and Citizens UK. Sponsor groups will provide much of the day-to-day assistance. They are responsible for sourcing accommodation and welcoming a family as well as supporting them to settle into their new community and starting to lead independent lives. Sponsor groups are supported by funding but also have the option to fundraise should they wish to do this. The amount of tariff paid to councils reflects this balance in responsibilities. 

Citizens UK, acting as a principal sponsor, have overall responsibility for the effectiveness of the sponsor group in supporting the family for the duration of the project and will provide direct support to both the family and the sponsor group to make sure that the resettlement goes to plan. They will recruit, train and support sponsors through the project and provide ongoing support. They will work in tandem with the council; however, they will be the first port of call if there are any issues or challenges. Citizens UK are there to support the council and sponsor group in agreeing their joint approach.  

Councils will play a key role in funding delivery, providing longer-term integration support and statutory responsibilities including homelessness, safeguarding and social care provision. Within these guidelines, the programme and the funding is designed to enable both the council and sponsor group to respond flexibly to the needs of the family, and the local situation to deliver the overall outcome. Successful sponsorship arrangements will rely on positive engagement and collaborative working relationships between councils and sponsor groups. 

3. Council roles and responsibilities

Councils have a number of important functions in supporting the Communities for Afghans project. However, councils do not have sole responsibility for the resettlement support of a family, as this is shared with the sponsor group and Citizens UK. Reflecting this shared responsibility, the project offers flexibility in the way in which integration support is provided to enable the local authority, Citizens UK and the sponsor group to work together to deliver overall outcomes. The council retain all statutory duties.

Councils will be expected to offer the following categories of support. Details of tariff funding available to support these activities are set out in the payments and funding section.

• Safeguarding and settling in – Citizens UK and the Home Office will conduct various security checks on sponsor groups ahead of a match taking place, and Citizens UK will be responsible overall for assessing sponsor group’s suitability. However, councils will be responsible for conducting a post-arrival welfare check on the household as soon as possible (and within 4 weeks) after their move into accommodation sourced by the sponsor groups, to ensure families participating in the project are housed within safe arrangements, that their initial needs are being met and appropriate service referrals have taken place. Existing statutory safeguarding duties in relation to children and vulnerable people continue to apply.

• Accommodation suitability – Housing suitability should be in line with standards specified by the council. If a hazard, a defect or disrepair in the accommodation is identified, tariff funding can be used to enforce expectations where appropriate against the private landlord under the Housing Act 2004, or to support the Afghan household to take action themselves under the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 or the Homes (Fitness for Habitation) Act 2018 or any other relevant legislation. In the scenario that accommodation is found to be unsuitable then in the first instance Citizens UK will work with the sponsor group to find another offer of suitable accommodation.

• Homelessness assistance – Should a household face a risk of becoming homeless then in the first instance Citizens UK will work with the sponsor group and the council to mitigate this risk as needed. In the scenario that accommodation is found to be unsuitable then in the first instance Citizens UK will work with the sponsor group to find another offer of suitable accommodation. However, if a household can no longer stay in the sponsorship accommodation and does not have any other alternative, suitable accommodation available to them, then the council’s existing statutory homelessness duties will apply.

• Administering sponsor payments – Councils will be responsible for administering an upfront payment and monthly support payments to the named sponsor within the sponsor group for the duration of 2 years. Payments will be paid to councils quarterly in arrears. Wherever possible, the first payment should be paid to the Sponsor Group within a month of the household arriving at their accommodation. For example, if a household arrives on 10 June, first payment is due on 10 July, and then the 10 of every month thereafter. Wherever possible, this payment structure should be adhered to, however we recognise that some councils may have their own payment processes they have to align with, and so councils can exercise their discretion in these instances. Councils must record the number of sponsor group payments made quarterly via DELTA. MHCLG have put checks and assurance in place to ensure that those responsible for handling funding are appropriate and that funding is held in an appropriate account. There is no requirement for councils to check how the funding is being used but council can stop payments if they have reason to believe the funding is being used fraudulently. In this case, the council should alert Citizens UK and MHCLG.

• Work and benefits – Councils will be responsible for supporting Afghan households participating in the project to access economic opportunities in the UK including work and/or education, and support accessing benefits as required, drawing on the contributions of the sponsor group. Councils should therefore ensure that sponsor groups are meeting families’ initial needs and that appropriate service referrals have taken place during the post-arrival welfare check. Citizens UK are responsible for training and supporting sponsor groups to ensure that wherever possible, households are supported to achieve economic independence enabling them to sustain their existing tenancies earlier than the end of the 2 year period. Households should also be supported to develop their understanding of the housing market in the UK including affordability, so that they are in a position to stay in settled accommodation when the support ends after 2 years.

• English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) – Councils will be responsible for the provision of English language training for arrivals under Communities for Afghans. The purpose of English language training is to ensure that each adult beneficiary can progress towards the level of proficiency needed to function in their everyday life; to promote integration; and to support those resettling in the UK to progress towards self-sufficiency, including accessing services or joining the workforce. Recognising that different adult beneficiaries will face different challenges in accessing English language support, there is not a singular uniform activity that councils must facilitate. Instead, councils have the discretion to deliver the provision of English language training as they see fit, informed by the nature of existing local provision and by each adult beneficiaries’ specific circumstances and English language requirements, as such councils may work with sponsor groups to identify the method of delivery most suitable to the household.

• Education – Councils will be expected to offer the following support with regards to education provision for the Communities for Afghans cohort:

  • to fulfil their statutory duty to ensure educational places are available for children of school age within the Communities for Afghans cohort, in state-funded establishments
  • to fulfil their statutory obligations regarding the assessment of Special Educational Needs & Disabilities (SEND)

Councils will be responsible for ensuring that the appropriate level of funding is paid to places of education (including schools, academies, free schools, and Further Education colleges, as appropriate) who accept beneficiaries from the relevant age groups.

4. Citizens UK roles and responsibilities

Citizens UK, acting as the principal sponsor, are responsible for the following:

• Recruitment and training – Citizens UK are responsible for the overall promotion of the project, including recruiting sponsor groups. Citizens UK are responsible for delivering mandatory training to sponsor groups, ensuring that sponsor groups are aware of their responsibilities under the project and are prepared to meet these responsibilities.

• Support and troubleshooting – Citizens UK are responsible for working with sponsor groups on an ongoing basis to ensure that the needs of households are being met. This includes developing and agreeing a resettlement plan, providing advice on preparing accommodation, supporting the sponsor group to provide the initial welcome, and ensuring that sponsor groups have appropriate safeguards in place. Should any issues arise throughout the sponsorship arrangement Citizens UK will in the first instance take action as needed to help overcome any issues and ensure that the sponsorship arrangement can continue.

5. Sponsor group roles and responsibilities

Sponsor groups will be responsible for the following:

• Property search – Sponsor groups are required to source ‘own front door’ (self-contained) accommodation for a period of 2-years. Sponsor groups will be provided with an upfront budget, and monthly budget to help with costs included accommodation costs.

• Initial welcome – Sponsor groups are responsible for leading the initial welcome, this includes arranging transport to accommodation, supporting local orientation, making community links and settling in, and providing holistic and informal welcome support to households. Sponsor groups are also responsible for supporting households to engage with services, for example with accessing council service referrals, signing up for Universal Credit, as well as supporting households with the search for work.

• Ongoing support – Sponsor groups are responsible for providing ongoing support to meet the needs of households. The form of support provided should reflect the unique position and needs of the household, as such sponsor groups, with agreement from Citizens UK, as the principal sponsor, may act at their discretion to support the family. Ongoing support provided by the sponsor group may include the provision of ESOL, if agreed by the council.

6. Payments and funding

Government provides funding to sponsor groups, Citizens UK and councils to support eligible Afghans participating in the Communities for Afghans project to rebuild their lives and fully integrate into communities.

Councils will be eligible to claim the following grants:

Core tariff grant

The purpose of the Communities for Afghans project core tariff grant is to provide a per-person tariff to support councils in providing wrap-around support to Afghans participating in this sponsorship project, to rebuild their lives and fully integrate into communities. There will be 3 years of tariff funding available for arrivals under the Communities for Afghans project. The tariff amount is £5,900 for Year 1, £6,000 in Year 2, and £4,020 in Year 3. Councils have the discretion to spend this tariff on activities outside of the categories listed in the roles and responsibilities section, providing that it is still used to support the Communities for Afghans cohort. The Communities for Afghans project tariff is not ringfenced to a specific financial year.

The grant will be paid in arrears, based on actual data on guest arrivals under Communities for Afghans. Payments will be made in full every quarter, to capture new arrivals in each quarter. The number of guest arrivals and completion of post-arrival welfare checks must be recorded quarterly via DELTA and signed off by the council’s Section 151 Officer in order for funds to be paid. In two tier areas, the grant will be paid to upper tier authorities. 

Pursuant to section 31(5) of the Local Government Act 2003, the Secretary of State determines that the grant will be paid subject to the following conditions:

• A recipient authority must use the funding to carry out activities pertaining to the operationalising of the Communities for Afghans project, as set out in the roles and responsibilities section, including completing a post arrival welfare check as soon as possible after arrival (and within 4 weeks), and before the tariff is claimed.

• A recipient authority must commission or provide services that ensure Afghan households participating in the project and sponsor groups are provided with a source of advice and support to assist with registering for mainstream benefits and services, including where necessary specialist public health services and community integration.

• In two tier areas, upper tier authorities must agree a plan locally to:
  • make payments to lower tier authorities in relation to all the services which they provide to Afghan households participating in the Communities for Afghans project, including for services such as homelessness assistance for which lower tier authorities are responsible; and
  • make an immediate payment to lower tier authorities in relation to any upfront costs

• A recipient authority must ensure records of post arrival welfare checks are kept up to date, and accurate quarterly DELTA returns are submitted signed off by the councils’ Section 151 Officer, as set out in guidance.

• Where the amount of grant paid to an authority exceeds the authority’s actual pressures (based on the number of households partaking in the Communities for Afghans project resident in their area), the difference shall be repaid to the Secretary of State. In addition, if the Department is made aware that an authority is in breach of the grant conditions above, it reserves the right to recover funding. As above, the Communities for Afghans project tariff is not ringfenced to a specific financial year.

ESOL tariff

The purpose of the Communities for Afghans project ESOL tariff grant is to provide a per-adult tariff to support councils in providing English language provision to eligible Afghans participating in this sponsorship project, to help their progress towards economic self-sufficiency and support their wider integration into UK society. This is a one-off payment of £850 per adult guest.

Councils have flexibility in how this tariff is spent, as set out in the roles and responsibilities section. Possible activities this tariff should be used for therefore include but are not limited to:

• Undertaking an assessment of each adult beneficiary’s English language capability to determine their training needs. This should be undertaken at the earliest opportunity.

• If formal language training is deemed appropriate, supporting the delivery of at least 8 hours per week of formal English language provision within 1 month of a beneficiary’s arrival or, for those already in the UK, at the start of recipient support. This should be provided to adult beneficiaries until they have reached Entry Level 3 or for at least 12 months after the start of recipient support (whichever is the sooner).

• Commissioning tailored formal language training classes and/or providing advanced classes for those that have a higher level of English language proficiency.

• Support preparation for language proficiency tests to access employment, further education, or higher education.

• Increasing ESOL infrastructure, for example training ESOL teachers, buying equipment and renting classroom space.

• Supporting activities that help overcome accessibility barriers, such as caring responsibilities or lack of transport. This could include offering classes at flexible times, including evenings and weekends, and funding online resources and/or provision to complement face-to-face services.

• Provision of informal language training, where this is considered to be in the best interest of the beneficiary, for example because they are assessed as being pre-entry ESOL level.

Pursuant to section 31(5) of the Local Government Act 2003, the Secretary of State determines that the ESOL tariff grant will be paid subject to the following conditions:

• A recipient authority must use the funding to carry out activities pertaining to the English language needs of arrivals participating in the Communities for Afghans Project.

• In two tier areas, upper tier authorities must agree a plan locally to:
  • make payments to lower tier authorities in relation to any English language services which they provide to arrivals participating in the Communities for Afghans project, and
  • make an immediate payment to lower tier authorities in relation to any upfront costs

• A recipient authority must ensure records of post arrival welfare checks are kept up to date, and accurate quarterly DELTA returns are submitted signed off by the councils’ Section 151 Officer, as set out in guidance.

• Where the amount of grant paid to an authority exceeds the authority’s actual pressures (based on the number of households partaking in the Communities for Afghans project resident in their area), the difference shall be repaid to the Secretary of State. In addition, if the department is made aware that an authority is in breach of the grant conditions above, it reserves the right to recover funding. The Communities for Afghans project tariff is not ringfenced to a specific financial year.

Education tariff

The purpose of the Communities for Afghans project education tariff grant is to support councils to fulfil their statutory duty for ensuring educational places are available for children of school age within the Communities for Afghans cohort. The amount of funding available for arrivals is £4,500 per child in school and/or further education aged between 5 and 18 years old, and £2,250 per child aged between 3 and 4 years old. 

Councils have the discretion to spend this tariff on activities outside of those outlined in the roles and responsibilities section, providing that it is still used to support education provision for school-age arrivals under the Communities for Afghans project.

The grant will be paid in arrears, based on actual data on Afghan household arrivals under Communities for Afghans. Payments will be made in full every quarter, to capture new arrivals in each quarter. In two tier areas, the grant will be paid to upper tier authorities.

Pursuant to section 31(5) of the Local Government Act 2003, the Secretary of State determines that the grant will be paid subject to the following conditions:

• A recipient authority must use the funding to carry out activities pertaining to the education needs of children and minors involved in the Communities for Afghans Project, as set out in Annex B and the accompanying guidance.

• In two tier areas, upper tier authorities must agree a plan locally to:
  • make payments to lower tier authorities wherever relevant in relation to any education services which they provide to Afghan children participating in the Communities for Afghans Project, and
  • make an immediate payment to lower tier authorities in relation to any upfront costs

• A recipient authority must ensure records of post arrival welfare checks are kept up to date, and accurate quarterly DELTA returns are submitted signed off by the council’s Section 151 Officer, as set out in guidance.

• Where the amount of grant paid to an authority exceeds the authority’s actual pressures (based on the number of households partaking in the Communities for Afghans project resident in their area), the difference shall be repaid to the Secretary of State. In addition, if the department is made aware that an authority is in breach of the grant conditions above, it reserves the right to recover funding. The Communities for Afghans project tariff is not ringfenced to a specific financial year.

7. Data monitoring

Councils will be required to submit quarterly DELTA returns which capture the number of individuals, families and sponsor payments made. Councils are not required to provide any data returns on outcomes or impact of resettlement support. Citizens UK are responsible for drawing up a resettlement plan and monitoring progress against it via the family and the sponsor group. However, councils are welcome to maintain regular contact between themselves, the sponsor group and the family, to assure themselves that progress is being made.

MHCLG will continue to keep the approach to data monitoring under review and will update guidance on data returns accordingly.