Council support for refugee hosts

Ukraine refugee hosts in Enfield to retain council tax discounts if they were previously eligible

Single Enfield residents who house refugees from Ukraine or elsewhere will not see their council tax increase as a result, the council has announced.

Enfield Council confirmed that anyone who lives in a single-person household and subsequently homes a refugee will not lose the 25% discount they would be eligible for as a single adult resident.

The government has said that people arriving under its Ukrainian refugee scheme, Homes for Ukraine, will be able to live and work in the UK for up to three years and access healthcare, benefits, employment support, education, and English language tuition.

Council leader Nesil Caliskan said: “[We] are committed to do everything we can to support those who are fleeing the war and make them feel welcome in Enfield.

“We want to help those in our borough who choose to welcome people coming from Ukraine into their own homes through the government’s Homes for Ukraine scheme.

“We will do that by ensuring we preserve the single person council tax discount for single occupants who host people from Ukraine and from conflicts in other parts of the world under government-sponsored schemes.”

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Someone is eligible for the government’s Homes for Ukraine scheme if they are a Ukrainian national or the immediate family member of a Ukrainian national, and were resident in Ukraine prior to 1st January 2022.

The government has said that people arriving under this scheme will be able to live and work in the UK for up to three years and access healthcare, benefits, employment support, education, and English language tuition.

Cllr Caliskan added: “We are stepping up to do everything we can for refugees who arrive in Enfield but a full support package is needed for Ukrainian refugees.

“It is important that the government enables local communities to step up and take a lead in this area and urgently provides the resources needed at a local level to support councils to carry out this vital task.”

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