I don't think thats strictly true.
I think some hosts have seen it. However I don't personally know anyone who has had it in thr first 5 weeks. The first 5 weeks when the guests have a grand total of £200 to clothe and feed themselves with. And not forgetting the cost of bus trips to job centres, interviews, to get biometric passports etc etc. And that the emergency £200 thats supposed to be given in the first 48 hours (its not in a great many cases, they they literally have nothing until then and are completely dependent on the host bailing them out. Thats the host thats probably picked them up at the airport (potentially paying for airport parking) rather than being a douche and expecting them to get public transport on their own (they can get free rail trail within the first 48 hrs of arrival, but you have to know how to do this and it won't cover the bus).
Yep, unless you are well off then hosting is damn expensive. And if you are on the family sponsorship scheme you aren't entitled to the £350 a month (thats one of the reasons why family sponsorship arrangements are having a higher failure rate than the homes for ukraine scheme).
I think many hosts have anticipated this to an extent but even those who have have said to me that its still been more than they expected.
I think the phrase that the first two weeks is like hitting a brick wall in terms of what a shock it is. Its intense and hard work. Its not just having a lodger who you can just tell house rules to and they know how the country works as a system. You have to tell them how recycling works, maybe how to use a dishwasher, where the shops are, fill in forms, how the shower works, what time you eat normally, how universal credit works and how you have to go to the job centre, etc etc. All without them necessarily understanding the first time and doing it through translation apps. So it takes 3 times longer than it would to a brit. Then theres obvious conversations about cultural differences in terms of how things work. Its very easy to forget something or to have a miscommunication. However just randomly inviting strange people into your hosts home, is not just something that Ukrainians blanketly assume they can do contrary to bollocks on this thread. (Hell ive met a few lately)
Don't forget hosts may have bought beds, bedding etc to house them. They paid for a gas safety certificate and possibly other adjustments to their homes to make them suitable and pass council inspection (yep theres the time off to facilitate the inspection and vetting process too. The Extended DBS for kids requires all adults to be present at the meeting, so you cant just delegate to one person.)
And the £350 covers rent and utilities. So actually it isn't exactly a huge amount after expenses are taken into consideration. The reality is hosts are effectively subsidising refugees and then taking the chunk of the resettlement labour that would probably otherwise fall to local councils.
Does anyone else want more of a lecture on why it's not just a lodger and why aren't hosts just grateful for the income bollocks that keeps getting repeated?
People wonder why things are breaking down? Its not necessarily because their guests are bad or that the host hasn't adequately prepared. It can be the stress and financial pressures of those first few weeks of sorting all the shit out. Problems getting visas are well publicised. The problems after guests have arrived deserve a good journalist investigation and lots of publicity. There is a woeful lack of support for hosts. Its bad enough for refugees but the hosts also need it badly too.
OP youve been given a huge time by people who are happy to either go 'well what did you expect' in i told you so tones or people who are just utterly clueless and use the ignorant 'but they are just a lodger dumbshit'. Many hosts feel this massive duty of care to ensure their guest isn't exploited in various ways. Its not just relationships either. I am personally aware of a local employer who is an absolute prick who has been taking on Ukrainians without the proper paper work. Lets just say he has a prior reputation locally already...
I genuinely think there are multiple alarm bells on this one (including whether she actually wanted the guy to stay, or whether he applied pressure when he was 'tired'). But the guest also isn't covering herself in glory either.
Like any country there are people who work hard and there are also pisstakers. You can make allowances to an extent 'because the war' but you also need to be wary and protect yourself from piss takers too.