Claim compensation if your property is affected by HS2
Cash Offer or Voluntary Purchase Scheme
You may be able to apply for a Cash Offer if you do not want to sell your home and it’s in a rural support zone.
Alternatively, you can ask the government to purchase your property for its full open market value (known as ‘unblighted’ value) under the Voluntary Purchase Scheme.
Cash Offer and the Voluntary Purchase Scheme only apply to properties in rural support zones. Check the Phase 1 or Phase 2 maps to see if your property is in a rural support zone.
Who can apply
Your house or 25% of the total area of your property must be in the rural support zone (generally 60 to 120 metres from the route).
You must be the owner occupier of a residential, agricultural or commercial property.
Mortgage lenders (for example banks and building societies) can also apply for the Voluntary Purchase Scheme.
Your commercial property will not qualify for Cash Offer or the Voluntary Purchase Scheme if it has a rateable value of £36,000 or more (£44,200 inside Greater London).
An owner occupier must:
- be the freeholder or a leaseholder with at least 3 years left on the lease
- be living in or running a business from the property, or have done so for at least 6 months in the last 18 months if the property is currently empty
- have bought or entered into a lease of the property before the initial preferred routes of Phases 1, 2a or 2b were announced - or show why they could not have known about it, for example if the searches relating to the purchase were undertaken before this date, but the purchase itself was completed afterwards
Read the full guidance on eligibility.
What you’ll get
Cash offer
The cash offer is a lump-sum payment of 10% of the unblighted open market value of your property (from a minimum of £30,000 to a maximum of £100,000).
The government will cover your legal fees up to £500 (plus VAT) if your application is successful.
Voluntary purchase
If you qualify, the government will pay 100% of the unblighted open market value, as assessed by 2 independent valuers.
The government will not cover additional costs, for example legal fees or removal costs.
Apply
Download the guidance and fill in the application form.
Send it to the address on the form, along with your supporting evidence.
Track your application online
HS2 will send you a username and password to track your application after you apply.
You can then track your application online. You’ll choose a new password after you sign in for the first time.
If you have not been sent a username and password, contact your HS2 case officer for help tracking your application.
Complaints
Follow HS2’s complaints procedure if you want to complain about the service you received, for example about how long it took to reach a decision on your application or the result.