{"id":1710,"date":"2021-06-08T16:14:00","date_gmt":"2021-06-08T16:14:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wordpress-1197097-5857112.cloudwaysapps.com\/?p=1710"},"modified":"2025-11-21T09:40:07","modified_gmt":"2025-11-21T09:40:07","slug":"when-is-help-to-buy-ending-and-other-changes-you-need-to-know","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/strideup.co\/news\/insights\/when-is-help-to-buy-ending-and-other-changes-you-need-to-know\/","title":{"rendered":"When is Help to Buy ending and other changes you need to know"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Help to Buy: Equity Loan has supported thousands of people in taking their first step onto the property ladder. As such the scheme is generally considered very successful. However, there were some changes in 2021 to better target the money to help those who need it most. Of course, ultimately the scheme has to end as well and this is currently scheduled for 2023. However, this doesn\u2019t mean first time buyers will be left without any support &#8211; read below to find out more.<\/p>\n\n\n<section class=\"table_of_contents\">\n    <h5>Table of contents<\/h5>\n    <ul>\n        <li><a href=\"#section1\">What we heard at MTF 2025<\/a><\/li>\n        <li><a href=\"#section2\">The data confirms it: Our community is underserved<\/a><\/li>\n        <li><a href=\"#section3\">StrideUp&#8217;s model resonated deeply<\/a><\/li>\n        <li><a href=\"#section4\">More than a moment &#8211; a movement<\/a><\/li>\n        <li><a href=\"#section5\">The data confirms it: Our community is underserved<\/a><\/li>\n        <li><a href=\"#section6\">So, what\u2019s next?<\/a><\/li>\n    <\/ul>\n<\/section>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>How Help to Buy changed in 2021<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">From a recent review of the scheme, it was found that 19% of Help to Buy borrowers are not first time buyers and 31% could have afforded to buy a home without it. To make sure the scheme helps those who need it most, there are 2 changes that came into effect from April 2021.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Only available for first time buyers<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">From April 2021 only first time buyers will be able to get a Help to Buy: Equity Loan. In order to reserve a Help to Buy property, you will have to make a legal declaration that you meet the definition of a first time buyer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The definition of first time buyer is the same as the one used for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/government\/publications\/stamp-duty-land-tax-relief-for-first-time-buyers\/stamp-duty-land-tax-relief-for-first-time-buyers#:~:text=A%20first%20time%20buyer%20is,property%20as%20their%20main%20residence.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Stamp Duty calculations.<\/a> It can be summarised as someone who has never owned a \u2018major interest\u2019 in any freehold or leasehold property anywhere in the world. Understanding \u2018major interest\u2019 is quite a technical area, but it means, for example, even if you\u2019ve inherited part of a property, you would not be counted as a first time buyer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Furthermore, if you are buying jointly with someone else (or more than one person), each and every person must meet the first time buyer definition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Regional price caps<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Similarly, to make sure Help to Buy is being used to help those who couldn\u2019t otherwise afford to buy, there are going to be upper limits on the value of the property depending on the region you\u2019re in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table stretched\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><thead><tr><th class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\"><strong>Region<\/strong><\/th><th class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\"><strong>Full Purchase Price Cap<\/strong><\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">East<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">\u00a3407,400<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">East Midlands<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">\u00a3261,900<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">London<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">\u00a3600,000<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">North East<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">\u00a3186,100<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">North West<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">\u00a3224,400<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">South East<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">\u00a3434,600<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">South West<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">\u00a3349,000<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">West Midlands<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">\u00a3255,600<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">Yorkshire and The Humber<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">\u00a3228,100<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Prior to April 2021, the maximum house price was \u00a3600,000 throughout England. After the change, it is set at 1.5 times the average first time buyer house price for each region (as shown in the table above). The percentage size of the government contribution remains unchanged &#8211; that is, an Equity Loan up to 20% outside of London and up to 40% in London.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>When will Help to Buy end?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The new 2021 Help to Buy scheme is scheduled to run for 2 years, implying the whole scheme should end in 2023. For households currently saving for a deposit and planning to purchase in a few years, this is of course disappointing. Even if 95% mortgages are available at that time (which isn\u2019t always the case), lender affordability calculations mean households will have to prove a considerably higher income than if they bought with Help to Buy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">However, Help to Buy has been the government\u2019s flagship homeownership support scheme for many years and the amount of money allocated to it is a big dent in the Budget. In total, by March 2023 it is expected that the government will have loaned \u00a329 billion through the scheme, and depending on how quickly people pay it back, it could be 2048 before it is all paid back. It is in this context that the scheme must end. However this will not leave first time buyers without any support, in fact, there are schemes already in place and new flagship policies being rolled out (such as First Homes) to help fill the gap.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"custom_video custom_image wp-block-video w-full h-auto tabland:rounded-[32px] relative overflow-hidden\">\n    <div class=\"image w-full h-full max-h-[600px] tabland:rounded-[32px] overflow-hidden object-cover relative\">\n        <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"w-full h-auto\" src=\"https:\/\/strideup.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/646218d8c700566da57a59ea_help_to_buy_86addfcaca-e1762878557415.jpg\" alt=\"Help to Buy is scheduled to come to an end. Find out when changes come into place and your other options for first-time buyers.\">\n    <\/div>\n    <figcaption>Help to Buy is scheduled to come to an end. Find out when changes come into place and your other options for first-time buyers.<\/figcaption>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>So what are the alternatives?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Shared ownership<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Shared ownership allows people to buy a portion of a home (usually between 25% and 75%) and pay a subsidised rent on the remainder. As the household income improves, they have the option to \u2018staircase\u2019 and gradually increase their ownership share. It is not a new scheme, having been offered through Housing Associations since the late 70s. However, there is a renewed impetus to promote its benefits and make it available to many more households looking to get on the property ladder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In the past, there has been a lack of shared ownership availability. This is because a relatively small number of shared ownership properties were built every year (under 10,000) and those that were built were prioritised for people who lived and worked in the local area. Combined with other eligibility criteria, such as maximum household income, it could not become a mainstream option.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">However, in recent years the government has taken significant measures to ease this. The income cap has been increased and there is significantly more funding available to construct shared ownership properties. Furthermore, the industry is looking at ways to improve the experience, for example, by making it much easier and cheaper to staircase.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>First Homes<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This is a recent development with the government rolling it out from summer 2021. However, it is clear from the initial materials published that the government has ambitions to make this a large scale and impactful scheme. Essentially it is a \u2018Discounted Market Sale Housing\u2019 scheme to be offered in England; this means that properties will be sold (to eligible buyers) at a 30% discount to open market value.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The intended purpose of this is to create housing that is permanently affordable, therefore this 30% discount will \u2018stay with the property\u2019, in other words, when the property is sold, it again has to be sold at a 30% discount. It will not be open to everyone &#8211; it\u2019s only available to first time buyers and will be prioritised for people already living in the local area (and some other groups as well, such as key workers).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While the initial scale is small, gradually First Homes is likely to play a significant role in filling a large part of the gap left by the closure of Help to Buy.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"special_separator flex justify-center my-8 middletab:my-14\">\n    <svg width=\"62\" height=\"12\" viewBox=\"0 0 62 12\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\">\n        <path d=\"M15.5 7.45938C15.5 3.30547 12.0854 -0.0560486 7.89524 0.000708303C3.98534 0.0537023 0.730931 3.14742 0.512121 7.03041C0.41249 8.7974 0.932401 10.4402 1.8748 11.7644C2.06429 12.0304 2.442 12.0793 2.69297 11.8695L7.19939 8.10879L7.20286 8.10691C7.41915 7.92692 7.69787 7.81874 8.0018 7.81874C8.30574 7.81874 8.59171 7.92974 8.80926 8.11381L8.81273 8.11569L13.3084 11.8673C13.5597 12.0771 13.9377 12.0275 14.1272 11.7613C14.9918 10.5456 15.5 9.06143 15.5 7.45907V7.45938Z\" fill=\"#627C84\"\/>\n        <path d=\"M38.5 7.45938C38.5 3.30547 35.0854 -0.0560486 30.8952 0.000708303C26.9853 0.0537023 23.7309 3.14742 23.5121 7.03041C23.4125 8.7974 23.9324 10.4402 24.8748 11.7644C25.0643 12.0304 25.442 12.0793 25.693 11.8695L30.1994 8.10879L30.2029 8.10691C30.4191 7.92692 30.6979 7.81874 31.0018 7.81874C31.3057 7.81874 31.5917 7.92974 31.8093 8.11381L31.8127 8.11569L36.3084 11.8673C36.5597 12.0771 36.9377 12.0275 37.1272 11.7613C37.9918 10.5456 38.5 9.06143 38.5 7.45907V7.45938Z\" fill=\"#627C84\"\/>\n        <path d=\"M61.5 7.45938C61.5 3.30547 58.0854 -0.0560486 53.8952 0.000708303C49.9853 0.0537023 46.7309 3.14742 46.5121 7.03041C46.4125 8.7974 46.9324 10.4402 47.8748 11.7644C48.0643 12.0304 48.442 12.0793 48.693 11.8695L53.1994 8.10879L53.2029 8.10691C53.4191 7.92692 53.6979 7.81874 54.0018 7.81874C54.3057 7.81874 54.5917 7.92974 54.8093 8.11381L54.8127 8.11569L59.3084 11.8673C59.5597 12.0771 59.9377 12.0275 60.1272 11.7613C60.9918 10.5456 61.5 9.06143 61.5 7.45907V7.45938Z\" fill=\"#627C84\"\/>\n    <\/svg>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"blog_cta rounded-[24px] tabland:rounded-[32px] my-8 tabland:my-14 py-8 tabland:py-12 px-6 tabland:px-5 text-center\" style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4;\">\n    <h2 class=\"font-ttnormspro slightly-tight-letters-title text-3xl font-extrabold mb-4\" style=\"color: #20272D;\">Stay in the loop.<\/h2>\n    <div class=\"desc font-lexend text-sm text-[#6A6A6C] mb-8 leading-normal font-feature-on tight-letters-paragraph\">Join our newsletter for exclusive updates and insights you won\u2019t want to miss.<\/div>\n            <a href=\"#subscription_form\" class=\"btn w-fit mx-auto\">\n            <div class=\"text\">\n                Subscribe            <\/div>\n        <\/a>\n    <\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Help to Buy is scheduled to come to an end.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":1711,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[139,133,144,113,145,82],"post_author":[50],"class_list":["post-1710","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-insights","tag-first-time-buyer-2","tag-first-time-home-buyer","tag-first-time-home-buyer-uk","tag-help-to-buy","tag-region-price-cap","tag-shared-ownership","post_author-team-strideup"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/strideup.co\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1710","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/strideup.co\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/strideup.co\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/strideup.co\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/strideup.co\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1710"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/strideup.co\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1710\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2841,"href":"https:\/\/strideup.co\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1710\/revisions\/2841"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/strideup.co\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1711"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/strideup.co\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1710"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/strideup.co\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1710"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/strideup.co\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1710"},{"taxonomy":"post_author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/strideup.co\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/post_author?post=1710"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}