How to get money to family or friends in Ukraine

It has been almost two months since the Russian invasion of Ukraine and millions of people have been forced to flee their homes for safety.

In the UK, several large campaigns have been organised to raise money for those affected and the scheme for sponsoring Ukrainian refugees is under way.

But if you wish to support a friend or family member instead of donating to a large fundraiser, you’ll want to be sure the money gets to them directly, securely and, crucially, as quickly as possible.

In a world of online banking and money transfer apps, you might assume this would be relatively straightforward – especially given the quickly evolving situation in Ukraine and the urgent need for many to receive money for living costs or escaping the country.

When Simon Teale, 56, tried to send £100 to his friend living in the Donetsk region of Ukraine, he was surprised to find he was refused for procedural reasons that remain frustratingly unclear and ill-defined.

He tried to use his banking app at first, but was told no international transfers could be made this way.

Next, he spoke to First Direct and a call centre operator said she couldn’t make the transfer. He was called back the next day by the bank’s ‘account review team’ and was asked for some more details, including the reason for the transfer and the payee’s address.

Simon, a management consultant from Stratford-Upon-Avon, was then told the transfer would need to be checked and he would be contacted.

He was told there are “strict guidelines to adhere to, especially if any payment is connected to a sensitive or selective sanctioned country,” and that the payment was being assessed by HSBC, which owns First Direct.

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Yet despite chasing this up, Simon, a First Direct customer for 30 years, didn’t hear back. After several calls, he was told over a week later the payment would not go through.

The situation in Ukraine was getting worse by the hour, and being able to get the money transferred became more and more urgent.

A direct reason wasn’t given for the payment being declined, but he assumed it was because of issues with the ongoing conflict in the Donetsk region.

While checks are in place for good reason, especially with sensitive transfers, what isn’t clear is why it took over a week for a decision to be made, why it was left to Simon to do the legwork chasing First Direct for a response or why such a small amount was rejected.

"There should be a de minimis consideration, given the small sum involved – it’s not like I’m sending the proceeds from selling Chelsea football club," said Simon.

First Direct did not provide a comment or explanation as to why the payment wasn’t allowed, but said it had advised the customer as to the reason why it was not possible to make this international payment.

When asked if international transfers were possible for anyone with a UK First Direct account to someone with a Ukrainian bank account, it did not provide a response.

Even more confusingly he attempted the transfer with Paypal – which is linked to his First Direct debit card – since then, and it was successful.

UK Finance, the trade association for the UK banking and financial services sector, told The Independent international transfers were still being processed between UK and Ukraine banks.

A spokesperson for UK Finance said: “Anyone who wishes to transfer money from the UK to Ukraine should speak to their bank or payment provider who will be able to advise them on the options available.”

There are lots of different ways to send money to those in need.

You can try to make a payment via a UK bank. Many banks have specific information available online about transferring money to Ukraine.

Lloyds, for example, confirmed that its customers could make transfers to Ukraine bank accounts. On these, the £9.50 fee would be refunded.

There are usually set fees for making international transfers, which can either be a percentage of the total amount or a flat fee. These are based on the sender and recipient’s banks, the countries involved, and how much money is being transferred.

Payments via Paypal are another option, and these can usually be done with an email address or phone number. It costs five per cent of the transaction amount. The minimum fee is 99p and the maximum is £2.99.

Several money transfer services also exist. Wise, previously known as Transferwise, confirmed transfers were possible from the UK to Ukraine, and sending £100 would incur a fee of 98p.

A Wise spokesperson said: “We’re working hard to keep the route to Ukraine open, and as long as we are able to do so, we will continue providing our service to people needing to send money to Ukraine."

Money transfers are also possible via Western Union and MoneyGram, which can be made at the Post Office. Fees for these transfers have currently been waived if they’re being made to someone in Ukraine.