BRITS that open their homes to Ukrainian refugees will receive £350 a month.

The Homes for Ukraine scheme is set to be rolled out this week and allow individuals, charities, community groups and businesses to support people fleeing the war.

Sponsors will be able to nominate a named Ukrainian individual or family to stay with them in their home as well as offer a separate property for them to use rent-free.

People who sponsor refugees through this new uncapped route will be required to commit to the scheme for a minimum of six months.

However, they will be encouraged to keep up the offer for as long as they can.

Those offering accommodation will be vetted and Ukrainian applicants will also undergo security checks.

The news follows recent criticism, aimed at the Government, over the speed and scale of its efforts to bring fleeing Ukrainians to the UK.

The Government is also working to help communities, the voluntary sector and charitable and religious organisations to sponsor groups of Ukrainians.

It will also give sponsors payments of £350 per month as a "thank you" and Ukrainians who have sponsors will be granted three years’ leave to remain in the UK, with entitlement to work and access to public services.

A website, which will be used to gather expressions of interest, is set to launch on Monday.

Bradford Telegraph and Argus: Michael Gove. Credit: PAMichael Gove. Credit: PA

Michael Gove, the Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Secretary, said the UK “stands behind Ukraine in their darkest hour”, and issued a call for people to “join the national effort” to help refugees.

“The crisis in Ukraine has sent shock waves across the world as hundreds of thousands of innocent people have been forced to flee their homes, leaving everything they know and love behind,” he said.

“The UK stands behind Ukraine in their darkest hour and the British public understand the need to get as many people to safety as quickly as we can.

“I urge people across the country to join the national effort and offer support to our Ukrainian friends. Together we can give a safe home to those who so desperately need it.”

Meanwhile, Nicola Sturgeon and Mark Drakeford have said both Scotland and Wales are willing to become “super sponsors” for Ukrainian refugees.

In a letter to Mr Gove, they also renewed their calls on Westminster to waive all visa requirements for Ukrainian nationals trying to get into the UK.

The governments in Holyrood and Cardiff said super sponsorship would enable Ukrainians to get clearance to enter each country quickly and be housed temporarily while they work with local partners to provide longer term accommodation, safeguarding and access to services.

Bradford Telegraph and Argus: Nadhim Zahawi. Credit: PANadhim Zahawi. Credit: PA

Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi announced on Saturday that online lessons will be made available to 100,000 refugee pupils as they transition to “life and safety” in the UK.

He had told BBC’s Question Time earlier in the week: “What you are seeing now is a surge in our capability to take more Ukrainians.

“I can tell you in my own department in education, I have a team that’s already making plans for a capacity of 100,000 children that we will take into our schools.”