Forces Help to Buy Scheme

From 1 January 2023, The Forces Help to Buy Scheme will become an enduring policy, ensuring its availability to all service personnel now and in the future. The scheme enables service personnel to borrow up to 50% of their salary, up to a maximum of £25,000 interest free towards the purchase of a property. The aim of this scheme is to address the low rate of home ownership within the armed forces, as well meeting the aims of the Defence Accommodation Strategy in recognising the positive impact owning a home can have during an inherently mobile career.

 

Who can use the scheme?

All regular personnel who:

  • have completed the pre-requisite length of service
  • are not a reservist or a member of the Military Provost Guard Service
  • have more than six months left to serve at the time they apply
  • meet the right medical categories

However, there may be exceptions to these criteria, especially where there are special medical and personal circumstances.

For more information refer to JSP 464, volume 1, part 1, chapter 12 or contact the Joint Personnel Administration Cell:

Defence Business Services
Military Personnel
FHTB Section
Centurion Building,
Grange Road Gosport,
Hants PO13 9XA

Telephone internal: 94560 3600, option 4
Telephone external: 0141 224 3600

How much can be borrowed under the scheme?

This scheme allows service personnel to borrow up to 50% of their annual salary, to a maximum of £25,000. The money provided is eligible to be used in relation to all the fees associated with moving house, such as the purchase deposit, estate agents, land registration, stamp duty land tax and solicitors’ fees.

How to get it?

Service personnel are to apply for Forces Help to Buy on JPA, through the self-service application for FHTB. Full instructions for completion is online in the JPA Self Service User Guide: Applying for Pre-Approval for FHTB.

For more information please go to : Forces Help to Buy: help to get on the property ladder – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

What can Forces Help to Buy be used for?

To be eligible the property to be purchased must:

  • Be a first home (unless it is to be purchased due to an assignment elsewhere, or due to extenuating family or medical
    circumstances)
  • It must be located within the United Kingdom, Channel Islands or Isle of Man.
  • To be used immediately to live in by a service person, and/or their immediate family.
  • The property cannot be a mobile home, houseboat or caravan
  • The property must be a residential property and it cannot be a commercial or buy-to-let property.

Until 2024, members of the Armed Forces could also combine their FHTB with other Government HTB schemes, but these other schemes have now ceased.

If a Mortgage is also required to purchase the property, then it is very important that the Mortgage Lender is informed that a Forces Help to Buy Scheme Loan is also being used to purchase the property to confirm that they accept this scheme as some Mortgage Lenders do not.

If you meet all of the criteria, then as part of your property purchase you will need a Solicitor/Conveyancer to assist you in liaising with the Forces Help to Buy Scheme team to assist you in your purchase.

We have great experience in purchasing properties for clients in the Armed Forces using the scheme loans with great success and if you have applied for a Forces Help to Buy Scheme Loan please do get in touch, and we can advise you on the process and procedure for using the Loan as part of your purchase.

For more information about the Forces Help to Buy Scheme click here.

Call us on: 0191 4555361 or email : info@hannayslaw.co.uk for more information