Homes for Ukraine scheme (2022-23) local authority care leavers tariff payment grant determination (No. 31/6543) (England)
Published 16 March 2023
The Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (“Secretary of State”) in exercise of the powers conferred by section 31 of the Local Government Act 2003, makes the following determination:
Citation
1. This determination may be cited as the Homes for Ukraine Eligible Minors Care Leavers Tariff grant No. 31/6543.
Purpose of the grant
2. The government will provide funding for local authorities to support eligible minors on the Homes for Ukraine Scheme, who have been placed into the care of a local authority, and leave the care system, at a rate of £16,850 per care leaver per year, for the first year. Detail at Annex B.
3. A reconciliation process will be conducted after the end of the 2022-23 financial year.
Determination
4. The Secretary of State determines the authorities to which grant is to be paid and the amount of grant to be paid as set out in Annex A of this determination.
5. The £16,850 care leavers allowance will be paid in full and in arrears for one year, based on actual data on arrivals. Payments will be made on a quarterly basis.
6. In two tier areas, the grant will be paid to upper tier authorities.
Grant conditions
7. 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 conditions in Annex C.
HM Treasury consent
8. Before making this determination in relation to local authorities, the Secretary of State obtained the consent of HM Treasury.
9. Signed by authority of the Secretary of State.
Emma Payne
Director, Homes for Ukraine Programme
Annex A: Summary of grant allocations
Grant allocations are attached as a separate document
Annex B: Local authority responsibilities for care leavers under the Homes for Ukraine Scheme
On 22 June 2022, the Department for Levelling up, Housing and Communities (‘the Department’) announced an expansion to the Homes for Ukraine (HfU) scheme to allow minors under eighteen to travel to the UK without a parent or guardian.
For the purpose of this additional funding, DLUHC considers an eligible minor to be a child or young person who has travelled to the UK without a parent/guardian, or a minor who has come with their parent/guardian to the UK under the wider Homes for Ukraine programme but who has subsequently been left by their parent/guardian with the sponsor and/or an accompanying adult relative, as set out in the Homes for Ukraine: Guidance for councils (children and minors applying without parents or legal guardians) (Annex D) and has therefore become unaccompanied.
The government is providing further funding to support local authorities with their costs of supporting formerly eligible minors, who became looked after by the local authority and have subsequently ceased being looked after, as defined in the Children Act 1989 as relevant children (s.23A of the Act) and former relevant children (s.23C of the Act).
Annex C: Grant conditions
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:
1. The recipient authority must use the funding to support care leavers (defined as those who were formerly eligible minors, were looked after by the local authority for at least 13 weeks, some of which was after they reached age 16) in accordance with the Children Act 1989, other primary legislation, and associated regulations and guidance.
2. In two tier areas, upper tier authorities must make payments to lower tier authorities in relation to all the services which they provide to support formerly eligible minors who have subsequently left care, under the Homes for Ukraine Scheme.
3. A recipient authority must provide regular data returns in relation to the Homes for Ukraine Scheme, as set out in guidance. For example:
a. Entering relevant data on Foundry regularly, and at a minimum, weekly; and
b. that Section 151 officers must sign off quarterly returns to the Department which include.
4. Where the amount of grant paid to an authority exceeds the authority’s actual pressures (based on the number of guests 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. There will be a reconciliation process after the end of the 2022-23 financial year.