Families who have brought their Ukrainian relatives to the safety of Britain are having a cash nightmare, a charity warned tonight.
They are being denied the £350-a-month payment usually made to people on the Homes for Ukraine scheme to take in strangers.
The Refugee Council says many families are now struggling to make ends meet.
In one case, a mum has taken in three Ukrainian relatives so that five people are now squeezed into her two-bedroom flat.
Part-time merchandiser Elena Linyard went to Poland to bring her niece, sister and mother back to the UK after they fled Kyiv.
But Elena, of Haringey, North London – who has lived here for 20 years – said: “My first instinct was to help my family. It would be nice to have a little bit of support.
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“But I am not entitled because they didn’t come here under government sponsorship – I’m the one who is sponsoring them. And there is no support for me.”
Mum-of-two Elena, 48, and son Andrew, 15, are sharing a room, while her daughter Tanya, 19, has moved out to free up space for the guests.
Her niece Anna Tkachnko, 30, and sister Iryna, 46, are sharing a double, while her mother Galyna Kryvulska, 81, is sleeping on a sofa bed.
All those arriving from Ukraine are now able to claim benefits from day one.
In addition, households welcoming refugees under the Homes for Ukraine scheme are offered a £350 “thank you” per month while guests are given a one-off £200 for “subsistence”.
But Elena, whose bills will go up hundreds of pounds a month, won’t get anything. And her guests are not entitled to the £200.
Refugee Council chief Enver Solomon said: “Every Ukrainian refugee must be given a warm welcome with all the support they need.”
The Government said the Homes for Ukraine and Ukraine Family schemes were among the “fastest and biggest visa programmes in UK history”, with over 29,000 visas issued and thousands more expected.
So far, 57 councils have reported people presenting as homeless, 44 in the family scheme and 56 from Homes for Ukraine. Another 64 came via other routes.
