Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 5
5
Accepted
Set out plans to evaluate Homes for Ukraine scheme, including lessons and value for money.
Recommendation
The scheme was set up at speed and has helped 141,200 Ukrainians come to the UK, but DLUHC does not know fully what aspects of the scheme have or have not worked and whether overall the scheme has been value for money. DLUHC has gathered some, largely qualitative, information on how well the scheme is working, but it has not yet set a timeframe for a full formal evaluation. DLUHC originally planned to complete an evaluation by autumn 2023, but it paused work on this in spring 2023. DLUHC acknowledges there is a need for lessons to be learned for future resettlement schemes but does not at the moment consider that Homes for Ukraine should automatically be used as a blueprint for other similar events. DLUHC assert that the scheme represents value for money as the cost of accommodation is likely to be lower within the Homes for Ukraine scheme than for other resettlement schemes. However, it does not have clear evidence of the overall value for money of the scheme once other elements of scheme funding have been factored in. Recommendation 5: As part of its Treasury Minute response, DLUHC should set out what plans it has to evaluate the scheme, both while it is still ongoing and at the end of the scheme. These evaluations should include: • how lessons learned from the scheme, and best practice examples, could be used for potential future resettlement schemes; and • a consideration of the overall value for money of the scheme.
Government Response Summary
DLUHC is continuously monitoring data and evidence, has undertaken an exercise to identify lessons from the sponsorship model, and is developing an emergency sponsorship playbook for future schemes. It is also exploring options for a further value for money evaluation of the scheme.
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. scheme as lessons are learnt. It continues to monitor various data and evidence across the scheme to assess progress against key milestones and metrics (as set out in the NAO Report dated October 2023), reporting regularly to the Homes for Ukraine Programme Board. This includes, analysis of LA Foundry returns, homelessness statistics, ONS surveys and LA quarterly returns as part of the LA tariff and Thank You payment assurance process which has demonstrated effective use of the funding. The department undertook an exercise to identify the emerging lessons of the sponsorship model to inform future refugee policy and preparation. It is also developing an emergency sponsorship playbook to equip future decision makers with the key considerations for establishing a similar scheme in future. It will continue to collect and monitor this data and is currently exploring options for a further value for money evaluation of the scheme. It is clear, however, that Homes for Ukraine was an effective value for money approach for accommodating high numbers of Ukrainians at speed. As stated above, DLUHC looked in detail at a range of evidence to understand the value for money case for thank you payments, this showed that thank you payments are good value for money compared to the counterfactual of government support for alternative accommodation options/ homelessness support. It costs £6 to £8 per person per night to provide a Ukrainian sponsorship accommodation (based on monthly thank you payments of £350 per household in the first year, and £500 per household thereafter), which is much lower than the costs to accommodate households in hotels or temporary accommodation and lower than housing benefit costs to support private rental option.