Payments to Manx hosts of Ukrainian families to double

The scheme was originally approved by Tynwald in July 2022

Payments to families hosting Ukrainian refugees on the Isle of Man are set to double after Tynwald backed the rise.

The update to the Isle of Man Homes for Ukraine Scheme will see hosts receive £480 per month, up from the current £240, after a six-month period.

More than 100 Ukrainian refugees have been supported by Manx households since the scheme began.

The changes also mean no new funding bids will be accepted after 31 March, and the scheme will close in 2024.

'Smooth transition'

Cabinet Office Minister Kate Lord-Brennan said the scheme was created in July last year to "demonstrate our gratitude to those willing to host Ukrainian guests".

However, the number of Ukrainians coming to the island and the number of households claiming host payments had "reduced significantly" so the support provided was being "refocused", she said.

It was hoped the rise in payments would "incentivise hosts" to continue with the scheme and allow for a longer period of stability for those who have come to the island in order to allow a "more smooth transition" into employment or their own accommodation, she added.

Arbory, Castletown and Malew MHK Jason Moorhouse questioned the plans to close the scheme on 31 March 2024.

He said there were still "many challenging days ahead" in Ukraine, and if the island needed to offer similar support in the future the closure would cause "problems".

However, Ms Lord-Brennan said it would be "much easier" to turn the scheme back on in the future if needed than it was to devise it in the first place.