Forces Help to Buy: help to get on the property ladder
Supporting the Armed Forces onto the home ownership ladder.
What is the 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. This can be used towards a deposit and other costs such as solicitor’s and estate agent’s 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.
In exceptional circumstances only, where the individual has no permanent access to JPA, the JPA Form E035 may be used and forwarded to DBS Military Personnel FHTB Section at least 6 weeks before the expected purchase completion date.
Find out about buying a home
If you are considering buying a home, but have not done so before, you may wish to read some general information on how to buy one and understand better how the process works.
Below are links to useful information:
Other government schemes
Tax implications
Research
Updates to this page
Published 1 April 2014Last updated 19 December 2022 + show all updates
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Page updated with latest information about the scheme.
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Updated links under heading: Other government schemes.
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Updated the page to reflect the fact that the pilot scheme has been extended to 31 December 2022.
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Added: Highlighted that the scheme has now been extended to 31 December 2019.
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First published.