Latest news with #legalresponsibility
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Brazil's Supreme Court justices agree to make social media companies liable for user content
The majority of justices on Brazil's Supreme Court have agreed to make social media companies liable for illegal postings by their users, in a landmark case for Latin America with implications for relations with the U.S. (AP Video: Lucas Dumphreys)
Yahoo
04-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
‘Could I be on the hook for rent costs for the Ukrainian family I sponsor?'
Do you have a legal question to put to Gary? Email askalawyer@ or use the form at the bottom of the page. Hello Gary, I sponsored a Ukrainian family (granny, mum and daughter) under the original government scheme set up after the Russian invasion of Ukraine in early 2022. As we are empty nesters, they lived in spare bedrooms in our house for a year until they secured their own accommodation. They are wonderful, hard-working people, and we are all now friends – particularly me and the mum. The mum now wants her husband and his dad to move to the UK and they have asked me to sponsor again. This time we are not being asked to accommodate them. However, I am worried I will have legal responsibility for their rent if I agree to sponsor and they live elsewhere. Presumably, the family already settled in the UK will have to move to bigger place, or they will rent separate houses. Whatever they end up doing housing-wise, as the UK sponsor what would be my legal responsibilities in these circumstances? – Angela, by email Dear Angela, First, I must acknowledge the act of great compassion for you to sponsor and accommodate the original trio of granny, mum and daughter in 2022. That said, you are right to be wary of any legal implications and ongoing financial responsibility of signing up again, in circumstances which are fundamentally different in that the persons seeking sponsorship this time are not going to be living with you. Under the original Homes for Ukraine scheme, which was launched by the UK government in March 2022, a so-called 'sponsor' such as yourself is not legally responsible for ongoing financial or housing support beyond the initial arrangement to accommodate for at least six months upon arrival in the UK. The exception to this is if you voluntarily enter into a private agreement that says otherwise, such as signing up to be guarantor of rent payments under a tenancy agreement, or becoming a co-tenant. In each case, my advice is do not do that, unless you have the means to pay the rent. This means that after the original trio moved out of your home and started renting a house, you had no ongoing legal responsibility or liability for rents or other debts. In that sense it was 'job done' – your relationship as sponsor was over and you could now simply be friends. At its heart, the Homes for Ukraine scheme is a way for persons displaced by the war in Ukraine to enter the UK legally under a visa. Initially, visa holders were granted up to three years' leave to remain. From early 2025, it has been possible to apply for an 18-month extension to allow rights to work, study and access public services. At present, there is no direct route to permanent residency for those like your trio already here under the original scheme. The logic for this is the Government says at some point Ukraine will be a safe place to return to. I mention this because if one or all of your original trio could become permanent residents – perhaps under the skilled worker route, if eligible – their position would be much more secure. However, as of February 2024, only a UK national can sponsor a Ukrainian under the Homes for Ukraine Scheme. So, as it stands, the existing trio from Ukraine cannot sponsor the rest of their family to come over to the UK. Which is where you come in again. If you want to. And while I imagine you feel a moral obligation to sponsor the husband and his dad – not least because of your friendship with the trio, who have been part of your life now for three years – it is important to understand the essential requirements of the Homes for Ukraine scheme. Under the scheme, you are expected to provide accommodation to the individuals you are sponsoring, such as a spare room in your house or separate self-contained accommodation rent-free for a period of at least six months. Your question is: if the husband and his dad live elsewhere, will you be responsible for their rent? The legal answer to that question is no you will not. But the more fundamental issue is if the person you sponsor rents elsewhere instead of living in accommodation you provide, that falls outside of the scheme itself. Under the Homes for Ukraine scheme, there is a £350 to £500 monthly thank you payment, which you would forfeit if you do not provide rent-free accommodation. But, more worryingly for you and the Ukrainians concerned, the conditions of the visa would not be fulfilled. You must give accurate information on any forms you are asked to complete as a sponsor. Therefore, you must say if you are providing accommodation or not. Providing false information on a visa application constitutes a criminal offence under UK law. Convictions can result in fines, imprisonment, or both, depending on the severity of the offence. So, while you may not be liable for the rent or other debts of the Ukrainians, there is a financial implication if you do not accommodate them for the initial six months they are in the UK. In my view, all this means you must say to your original trio that you may only help with their other family members moving over only if you can all be totally transparent that they will be living together in a rented house, that you will not be accommodating anyone, and that you will not be guaranteeing any rent payments or otherwise taking on any responsibility for their financial responsibilities. It will then be up to the Government whether to grant a visa or not. Ask a Lawyer should not be taken as formal legal advice, but rather as a starting point for readers to undertake their own further research. 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Telegraph
04-06-2025
- General
- Telegraph
‘Could I be on the hook for rent for the Ukrainian family I sponsor?'
Do you have a legal question to put to Gary? Email askalawyer@ or use the form at the bottom of the page. Hello Gary, I sponsored a Ukrainian family (granny, mum and daughter) under the original government scheme set up after the Russian invasion of Ukraine in early 2022. As we are empty nesters, they lived in spare bedrooms in our house for a year until they secured their own accommodation. They are wonderful, hard-working people, and we are all now friends – particularly me and the mum. The mum now wants her husband and his dad to move to the UK, and they have asked me to sponsor again. This time we are not being asked to accommodate them. However, I am worried I will have legal responsibility for their rent if I agree to sponsor and they live elsewhere. Presumably, the family already settled in the UK will have to move to bigger place, or they will rent separate houses. Whatever they end up doing housing-wise, as the UK sponsor what would be my legal responsibilities in these circumstances? – Angela, by email Dear Angela, First, I must acknowledge the act of great compassion for you to sponsor and accommodate the original trio of granny, mum and daughter in 2022. That said, you are right to be wary of any legal implications and ongoing financial responsibility of signing up again, in circumstances which are fundamentally different in that the persons seeking sponsorship this time are not going to be living with you. Under the original Homes for Ukraine scheme, which was launched by the UK government in March 2022, a so-called 'sponsor' such as yourself is not legally responsible for ongoing financial or housing support beyond the initial arrangement to accommodate for at least six months upon arrival in the UK. The exception to this is if you voluntarily enter into a private agreement that says otherwise, such as signing up to be guarantor of rent payments under a tenancy agreement, or becoming a co-tenant. In each case, my advice is do not do that, unless you have the means to pay the rent. This means that after the original trio moved out of your home and started renting a house, you had no ongoing legal responsibility or liability for rents or other debts. In that sense it was 'job done' – your relationship as sponsor was over and you could now simply be friends. At its heart, the Homes for Ukraine scheme is a way for persons displaced by the war in Ukraine to enter the UK legally under a visa. Initially, visa holders were granted up to three years' leave to remain. From early 2025, it has been possible to apply for an 18-month extension to allow rights to work, study and access public services. At present, there is no direct route to permanent residency for those like your trio already here under the original scheme. The logic for this is the Government says at some point Ukraine will be a safe place to return to. I mention this because if one or all of your original trio could become permanent residents – perhaps under the skilled worker route, if eligible – their position would be much more secure. However, as of February 2024, only a UK national can sponsor a Ukrainian under the Homes for Ukraine Scheme. So, as it stands, the existing trio from Ukraine cannot sponsor the rest of their family to come over to the UK. Which is where you come in again. If you want to. And while I imagine you feel a moral obligation to sponsor the husband and his dad – not least because of your friendship with the trio, who have been part of your life now for three years – it is important to understand the essential requirements of the Homes for Ukraine scheme. Under the scheme, you are expected to provide accommodation to the individuals you are sponsoring, such as a spare room in your house or separate self-contained accommodation rent-free for a period of at least six months. Your question is: if the husband and his dad live elsewhere, will you be responsible for their rent? The legal answer to that question is no you will not. But the more fundamental issue is if the person you sponsor rents elsewhere instead of living in accommodation you provide, that falls outside of the scheme itself. Under the Homes for Ukraine scheme, there is a £350 to £500 monthly thank you payment, which you would forfeit if you do not provide rent-free accommodation. But, more worryingly for you and the Ukrainians concerned, the conditions of the visa would not be fulfilled. You must give accurate information on any forms you are asked to complete as a sponsor. Therefore, you must say if you are providing accommodation or not. Providing false information on a visa application constitutes a criminal offence under UK law. Convictions can result in fines, imprisonment, or both, depending on the severity of the offence. So, while you may not be liable for the rent or other debts of the Ukrainians, there is a financial implication if you do not accommodate them for the initial six months they are in the UK. In my view, all this means you must say to your original trio that you may only help with their other family members moving over only if you can all be totally transparent that they will be living together in a rented house, that you will not be accommodating anyone, and that you will not be guaranteeing any rent payments or otherwise taking on any responsibility for their financial responsibilities. It will then be up to the Government whether to grant a visa or not.
