Most Ukrainian refugees in UK say they don’t have money to support themselves for next three months

Most Ukrainianrefugees in the UK say they don’t have enough money to support themselves and their families for the next three months, a new survey shows.

Data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) also indicate that people who have come to Britain after fleeing Putin’s invasion have struggled to access healthcare.

The survey of 9,601 individuals on both the Ukraine family scheme and the Homes for Ukraine scheme found that 37 per cent reported they have enough money to support themselves and their dependents for the next three months – indicating that nearly two-thirds do not.

Around four in five (83 per cent) working-age respondents reported they were currently working, or that they were very likely or likely to look for work in the UK in the next month.

The findings also show that a third of respondents were receiving regular healthcare treatment before leaving Ukraine, but only 22 per cent of them said this treatment had continued since arriving in the UK.

Around one in five respondents (21 per cent) reported receiving regular prescriptions for medication or drugs while in Ukraine, but only 37 per cent said they have been able to access regular prescriptions and drugs since arriving in the UK.

It comes after it emerged last month that 660 households who have come to Britain via these routes have been forced to register as homeless.

The data, published by the Department for Levelling up, Communities and Housing, revealed that of the homeless households, 480 were families with at least one child, while 180 were single households.

Government figures show 109,700 refugees have so far come to the UK under the Homes for Ukraine scheme, while 45,900 have arrived under the family scheme.

The ONS survey also revealed that around four in ten respondents (38 per cent) said they intend to stay in the UK for three years or more, while 29 per cent said they intended to stay for up to three years and 30 per cent did not know.

It shows that the overwhelming majority who have arrived are women with children, and nearly half can speak or read English.

A government spokesperson said: “From day one, Ukrainians have had the right to work and to access benefits and public services, including education and healthcare, on the same-footing as UK nationals. This will continue to be the case for those who wish to remain in the UK.​”

More than 5.8 million refugees from Ukraine have fled to European countries since the war started at the end of February, according to data from the UN refugee agency (UNHCR).