Residents for Uttlesford, R4U, is “pleased” after finding out that Essex County Council has started to deliver on its obligation to financially support families hosting Ukrainian refugees.

The council has started payments but they are being urged by R4U to accelerate the programme, as it has been found that families have not been paid what they were told.

Nationwide, councils are giving their constituents who are hosting one or more Ukrainian refugee household monthly “thank you payments”.

With money given to them from the government as part of their Homes for Ukraine scheme, councils can make these monthly payments of £350 for up to 12 months.

R4U’s Cllr Paul Gadd, Essex county councillor for the Saffron Walden division, is urging anyone who is still having issues to contact him through the ECC website

Hesaid: “We applaud the local families who have welcomed victims of the tragic Ukraine war into their homes, but we’ve found that they aren’t being supported when they should be.

“They are required to pay for other things such as electrical and gas checks and safety certificates.

“A national programme is supposed to fund host families to £350 a month.

“We found out in early June that ECC had still not put in place the necessary systems to pay many host families, some who have been hosting since March.

“As soon as residents raised the problem with us, we chased and urged ECC to fix it.

“It is unacceptable for any delay in payments to families who are doing the right thing, but we are relieved that finally the payments are starting to be released.

R4U’s Cllr Petrina Lees, who is also UDC council leader, said: “It has been heartening to see the ongoing response by many residents in our district to refugees.

“We hope our rural district allows our temporary residents to feel safe, at peace, and supported while they’re here.”

The UDC has also been able to provide housing to Ukrainian refugees and will be able to provide financial support to them as well through additional single £200 resettlement payments directly to incoming refugees.

For more information on Residents for Uttlesford, visit www.residents4u.org