Family barred from hosting Ukrainian refugees because home has bare floorboards
A British family has been barred from hosting Ukrainian refugees because their home has bare floorboards, as council officials start to check Homes for Ukraine accommodation.
One householder was ordered to board up an internal glass door even though it had safety glass, while another was told they would be rejected if they failed to put locks on all their windows.
Council checklists warned against stairs that were "excessively steep", bannisters with gaps that were more than 100 mm wide, looped cords or chains for blinds, low windowsills, poisonous plants or any damp or mould.
The checks being rolled out by local authorities come amid anger from British hosts at red tape that has left some out of pocket after paying overseas hotel bills for delayed refugees. Others are still waiting for applications to be granted after three weeks.
Sue Clifford, who has set up a Facebook group for Homes for Ukraine hosts and taken in a family of three Ukrainian refugees, said: "These people are fleeing tanks and bombs. We are going to keep them safe. We are not putting them at risk."
The Government has provided "light touch" guidance on accommodation standards, leaving it largely to councils, which has led to a range of approaches.
Coventry said it was applying standards adapted from those for foster care placements and had so far rejected two prospective hosts' homes. A spokesman said: "The very vast majority of properties we have inspected so far are normal family homes with appropriate spare bedrooms for the size of guests due to arrive."
A couple in Hull taking in a lone Ukrainian refugee from Sumy said they were told they needed to pay for a service for their two-year-old boiler, while friends taking in a family were told to update their electrics and lighting, costing them £850.
It followed BBC reports of families being rejected because plug sockets were too low for children or being told to drain their ponds if they were taking in children.
A woman hosting four refugees in a two-bedroom flat above her hairdressing salon had to spend £450 after two visits by a council inspector judged that her five smoke alarms were not adequate and that she had the "wrong type of plaster" in the shop ceiling.
The Government has suggested homes need to be safe, in a "clean, reasonable" state, have adequate kitchen and bathroom space, smoke detectors on each floor, a gas safety check within the past year and doors and windows at entry level that lock properly.
But some councils have gone further. South Derbyshire District Council asked on its form: "Is the property free from hoarding?" Buckinghamshire required that outdoor play equipment should be safe and securely attached and greenhouses should have safety glass.
On Friday, ministers are expected to reveal that the number of granted applicants under the Homes for Ukraine scheme has passed more than 10,000. It was 9,000 of more than 32,000 applications on Tuesday, but it is thought around only 1,000 refugees have arrived.
However, there are still families who applied when the scheme officially opened on March 18 who have yet to be approved, even though they have been waiting nearly three weeks.
The Earl of Shrewsbury, a Tory peer, told the Lords: "What on Earth is going on? Every country in Europe is accepting these displaced people, yet we appear to be placing every barrier in their way. It's a total disgrace."
A Government spokesperson said: “We continue to process visas for the Homes for Ukraine scheme as quickly as possible, but accept progress has not been quick enough. The Home Office has made changes to visa processing – the application form has been streamlined, Ukrainian passport holders can now apply online and do their biometrics checks once in the UK, and greater resource has gone into the system.
“We are working with the voluntary sector to explore how matching people in Ukraine and sponsors in the UK can be facilitated.”
